Let the Externship Begin

Setting Up the Medical Assistant Externship Site

A good medical assistant school usually has already established a contact list of possible externship sites within the community and the teaching staff makes the necessary arrangements to send them the most qualified student. The goal is to carefully match medical assistants students with a suitable externship site. Some schools allow their senior students to submit a so-called externship site wishlist naming their preferred specialties, or location.

Student Externship Site Wish List

Sometimes medical assisting students get to submit a wish list to their instructor... Students can name a few medical offices or specialties that they would really love to work in. There always are certain medical centers and medical offices in the community that are desired areas, for example the ER is always high on the list. Understandably, not everybody gets to go where they hope to go—it is up to the instructors to find a good match. It also depends on externship site availability.

Shortly Before You Start...

Shortly before the externship the medical assistant student may be asked to interview with the physician or office manager at the suggested facility. The student is expected to treat this interview exactly as if it was an actual job interview. Again, this may cause bit of anxiety but it is an important step in preparation for the highly competitive job market of the "real world". 

The Day of Your Interview

Dress appropriately and professionally and always take a resume, even if the school has forwarded one to the clinic. Compile a list of all the addresses, telephone numbers and names of the supervisors and businesses you have previously worked for and also be prepared to mention volunteer experiences and hobbies that will show that you are dependable and interested in learning new skills and taking on new challenges. 

  The Purpose of the Externship