As part of any good quality medical assistant training program, an externship will be provided as part of the curriculum. Similar to an internship, the medical assistant externship acts as a conduit in which you transition from being a student to a practicing medical assistant. It is an experiential learning opportunity where mentored, practical ‘real-world’ job experience can be acquired.
Medical assistant externships are typically found through a school’s training program and can take up to a semester to complete. Externships are usually arranged through a variety of health care establishments including physician practices, clinics and hospitals. This gives you the chance to gain experience in multiple health care settings, while also allowing you to explore different areas that you can specialize in including obstetrics, pediatrics, podiatry and optometry.
Whether you choose to do your externship in a private doctor’s office or in a hospital, essentially what you will be doing is job shadowing an experienced medical assistant who will walk you through the day-to-day activities that take place on the job. This is the time to carefully observe and ask as many questions as you can. Not only will you be expected to demonstrate what you have learned from your training program, but you will also be expected to learn and perfect new skills taught during your externship.
What You Can Expect and What is Expected of You
During your externship, you will be carrying out fundamental tasks, like answering phone calls, organizing supplies and pulling and filing patient charts, along with more critical duties involving basic clinical procedures. There will be an overwhelming amount of information coming your way, so keep a small notepad handy to write down questions or notes on things that are essential to remember.
Never stand around waiting to be told what to do. If you can’t figure out what to do, ask someone – either your trainee or another staff member. Being proactive during your externship not only demonstrates that you are a self-starter, but also shows your ability to be a contributing team member.
Showing up and being on time are indicators of reliability and professionalism, so be aware that your performance and attendance will be carefully observed. Having a good attitude and work ethic will certainly result in positive feedback on your performance.
Extern Evaluations
Halfway through and at the end of the externship, evaluations providing feedback on over-all performance are turned in to your school. More often than not, the experienced medical assistant whom you have been shadowing completes these evaluations. However, some schools have the experienced medical assistant and the physician under whom the MA works both fill out the evaluations. If the externship counts towards school credits, the evaluations become part of your final grade and may determine whether you will be allowed to graduate, or not.
Getting Your Foot in the Door
Don’t take your externship for granted. Take full advantage of this key opportunity to not only get hands-on experience, but to also start networking for future job prospects. Make sure to leave copies of your resume with the office or human resource manager once you have completed your externship. This way, if any job opportunities come up, they will be able to get in touch with you. Also ask if they could pass your resume along should they hear of any other job openings. If you’ve left a good impression, they will be more than happy to help out.
What you learn in the classroom is one thing. The knowledge and experience you will gain from this externship is quite another. This is your chance to finally work directly with patients, doctors and other health care providers in a real medical office setting applying what you were taught during your training program. Despite some apprehension you might feel in the beginning of your medical assistant externship, once there, you will see just how rewarding this experience can be. It could possibly even lead to a permanent job position. So make the most of this opportunity, because in the end, it’s all up to you!