The days between the holidays and the new year are strange ones. Classes slow down. Schedules loosen. The pressure to “be productive” softens, even if it never fully disappears. For many medical coding students, this period feels like a pause — a time when real progress can wait until January.

But in practice, this is often when confidence is built.

Not through long study sessions or aggressive goal-setting, but through something much quieter: understanding how ICD-10 actually works.

Most students don’t struggle with ICD-10 because they aren’t capable. They struggle because the system feels overwhelming before it feels familiar. When you’re introduced to hundreds of codes before you’ve had time to internalize structure, everything can start to feel random. Anxiety creeps in. Progress slows. Confidence takes a hit.

Yet ICD-10 was never designed to be random. It was designed to be read.

Why structure matters more than speed

In the real world, coding accuracy isn’t just an academic concern. Errors in medical coding have a measurable impact on the healthcare system as a whole. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Medicare Fee-for-Service improper payment rate reached 7.38% in 2023, accounting for approximately $31.2 billion in incorrect payments. A significant portion of these errors stem from documentation and coding issues — not from lack of effort, but from misunderstandings about how codes should be selected and interpreted.

That same dynamic shows up early in education. When students haven’t had enough time to practice categories, character roles, and recurring patterns, they’re more likely to guess, hesitate, or second-guess themselves. The pressure to move quickly can come long before clarity sets in.

Confidence, however, doesn’t come from memorizing more codes. It comes from recognizing patterns and knowing where to start when you encounter something unfamiliar.

Why short practice works — especially right now

Adult learners, in particular, rarely have the luxury of uninterrupted study time. Most are balancing coursework with work, family, and responsibilities that don’t pause just because finals are over. The idea that progress requires hours of daily study can feel discouraging before it even begins.

The reality is far kinder.

Short, consistent practice — even ten minutes at a time — helps reinforce how ICD-10 is structured. Over time, categories become familiar. Character roles make more sense. New codes stop feeling intimidating because they fit into a framework you already recognize.

This is why the weeks before January matter so much. Without the pressure of grades or deadlines, learners have space to focus on understanding rather than performance. The goal isn’t mastery. It’s familiarity.

Why the early chapters set the tone for everything that follows

The first several chapters of ICD-10 are where students learn how the system behaves. They introduce the logic that repeats throughout the classification: how categories are formed, how details are layered, and how specificity increases without changing the underlying structure.

Getcodexa’s pilot intentionally focuses on six ICD-10 chapters for this reason. Rather than trying to cover everything at once, the pilot is designed to help students practice reading codes, recognizing patterns, and building confidence before complexity increases.

This kind of reinforcement doesn’t replace coursework. It supports it. It gives students a way to apply what they’re learning without pressure, grades, or long study sessions — especially during a time of year when flexibility matters.

What the Getcodexa pilot is meant to feel like

The Getcodexa pilot was built around a simple idea: learning reinforcement should fit into real life.

It’s not a curriculum. It’s not a certification program. It’s a companion — designed to reinforce structure, not replace instruction.

For many learners, that support is what turns “I think I understand this” into “I know where to start.”

Looking ahead to January

When coursework picks up again, students who have spent even a small amount of time reinforcing structure often notice a difference. Codes feel less foreign. Patterns are easier to spot. Confidence shows up sooner than expected.

The quiet weeks before January don’t need to be productive in a traditional sense to be meaningful. Sometimes, they’re most valuable when they’re calm.

If you’re currently studying ICD-10 — or preparing to start — and want a low-pressure way to strengthen your foundation, you’re invited to learn more about Getcodexa and join the pilot waitlist.

The pilot launches after the new year, and we’re building it alongside the students and educators who will use it.

Learn more and join the pilot waitlist at https://getcodexa.com.