AHIMA or AAPC?

There are other certifications,  too —  and may affect the type of education path you choose. Some schools cater  to specific certification options, while others offer a more rounded education  that focuses on the general knowledge you need to take most certification  exams. 

1. AAPC certification serves those individuals best who are interested  in pursuing a career in physician-related coding and billing, and the  AAPC certification test includes more coverage of CPT codes, the codes  physician-based providers use when billing payers. (CPT stands for current  procedural terminology.) 
As a result, AAPC programs cover more of  the physician-specific codes than AHIMA programs do. 

2. AHIMA credentials are normally associated with hospital coding and  billing. Its test includes more about ICD-9 Volume Three codes, which  are used when billing hospital inpatient services. AHIMA programs put  more emphasis on the ICD Volume Three procedure codes than AAPC  programs do. (ICD stands for International Classification of Diseases) 

Solid medical  coding and billing programs provide their students with the knowledge  necessary to ace entry levels of certification. 
When you complete the coursework,  the technical school or community college will issue you a certificate of  completion. This certificate is not the same as certification. Although you will  receive some sort of certificate or degree from your institution, you still have  to take certification exams after you graduate.