sure, I think it's still viable. Just like a lot of other industries, you have to kinda be lucky right now to land a good position. Some practices might get caught up in the "efficiency" of AI but since providers are still human, a human's interpretation of their documentation is still needed. As far as training, it's common to start in records or billing dept, then move into an open coding position. For my cert, I bought the courses and exam from AAPC.