The Florida Health Information Management Association (FHIMA) hosted its inaugural New Professionals & Student Convention geared towards preparing new professionals and students for the workforce.
FHIMA, which is a component of the American Health information Management Association, supports and promotes health information management professionals by advancing best practices through education, technology, professional development, leadership, advocacy and communication, according to its website.
Workshops like “perfecting your resume,” “elevator speech 101,” “Do you have the soft skills,” and “HIM: Is it just more than coding?” gave FAMU students the insight and confidence needed to prepare for the professional workfield.
“I really enjoyed learning about the different certifications that you need,” said Keenan White, a health information management student who attended the “Credentials, Which Ones and When?” session. “It gave me great insight on the importance of the RHIA, RGIT, and CCS certifications which makes you a credible candidate for any position.”
The session discussed different HIM/Coding credentials including how to decide what credentials are beneficial, how to prepare, and when you should obtain them, according to the FHIMA website.
“I learned a lot about elevator speeches,” said Destiny Cooper, a health information management student who attended the “Elevator Speech 101” session. “It prepared me to give a quick rundown of myself and what positions I’m interested in wherever I am, not just in an elevator.”
The “Elevator Speech 101” session focused on taking the oppurtunity to promote the students and their personal brands. The session also helped them write their own elevator speeches.
“Networking was the best session for me,” said Zykeya Parner, who attended the “HIM Speed Dating” session. “We were able to use what we learned right at the convention.
“There were so many different professionals there that we could give our elevator speeches to and connect through professional sites like LinkedIn. I definitely recommend others to attend next year.”
The convention took place last weekend at the Orlando Renaissance Sea World hotel. AHIMA student member tickets were $59 and the student non-member tickets were $74.