Some of life's setbacks are caused by circumstance. Other problems we bring upon ourselves. The real issue isn't where life's challenges come from, but how we overcome them, as the most recent winner of Everest College's Dream Award can testify.
Rebecca "Becky" Malivuk graduated with honors from Oak Lawn High School in 2003, but had no clear idea what to do next. She worked at a restaurant for several years before taking a job at a collections agency, only to lose that job after a year when she hung up the phone on a verbally abusive customer. "It's against company policy to hang up, no matter what," she explained. Pregnant and scared about her future, she enrolled in the Medical Insurance Billing and Coding program at Everest College in Merrionette Park, Ill., only to miscarry several months later. Rather than give up, she redoubled her efforts, become a student ambassador (peer advisor), graduated, got her certification and even convinced a close friend to join the program.
"I was motivated to do well. I wanted everyone else to be motivated as well," Rebecca explained.
"I think that Becky wasn't just able to succeed, but she was able to multiply her dream and success and share it with other people," said Rudaina Swais, the instructor who nominated Rebecca for the school's Dream Award which each Everest campus awards annually to a student who most exemplifies the school's mission of success over adversity. The award includes a $2,500 scholarship that Rebecca, now 26, can use toward continuing her education at Everest.
Since her graduation in 2009, Rebecca has been working at what she describes as her "dream job," a medical insurance billing and coding specialist for Practice Management Resource Group in Tinley Park.
Rebecca credits her personal turnaround to the instructors who inspired her, including Swais.
"I've never won an award in my life," she said. "I was that other person."
Everest's Medical Insurance Billing and Coding Program
If you live or work in Chicagoland's southern suburbs, you can prepare for a career in medical insurance billing and coding (MIBC) at Everest College in Merrionette Park. This eight-month program teaches the basic concepts and procedures needed to understand how health insurance works, as well as how to prepare and process claims forms. You can also gain knowledge of the industry’s standard of coding and how to apply those codes to medical documentation.
Courses in Everest Institute’s Medical Insurance Billing and Coding career education program include:
- Introduction to Medical Terminology
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Pathology
- Psychology
- Procedural Coding:
- Cardiovascular and Lymphatic Systems
- Genitourinary System
- Integumentary and Endocrine Systems
- Musculoskeletal System
- Respiratory and Gastrointestinal Systems
- Sensory and Nervous Systems
Upon graduation, you can get job-search support from Everest's Career Services department. Our school's career services representatives can help you identify and contact local employers, as well as help you with resume preparation, effective interviewing techniques and even wardrobe selection.
MIBC specialists can be found in a variety of locations. These include:
- Physicians' offices
- Medical clinics
- Insurance companies
About the Merrionette Park Campus
Everest College’s Merrionette Park Campus is located at 11560 South Kedzie Ave., Merrionette Park, IL 60803. The campus is just south of the intersection of South Kedzie Avenue and West 115th Street near the Merrionette Park Shopping Center. Other programs offered at the campus include Dental Assistant, Medical Assistant, Medical Administrative Assistant and Pharmacy Technician.
For more information on Everest’s Medical Insurance Billing and Coding career education program in Merrionette Park, contact Everest today! Financial aid is available for those who qualify.
