Medical assistant externships can provide many benefits to students in terms of real, professional experience and networking opportunities. Before starting your externship, it can help to know about the recruitment process and tasks you may need to complete during your time. This way, you can be well-informed and knowledgeable on what you need to do as a medical assistant trainee.
Prism Career Institute offers courses that are focused on accessibility and hands-on learning through a 150-hour externship. Here, we talk about what a medical assistant externship is and the benefits of completing one.
What Is a Medical Assistant Externship?
A medical assistant externship is a part of a medical assistant program that gives students real working experience in the field. While most medical assistant externships are unpaid, they can still provide many benefits when it comes to preparing students for the healthcare industry.
Throughout their externship, students work closely with and observe healthcare professionals to get a feel for the job and what they have to do. They assist other medical assistants, nurses, and doctors with administrative and clerical tasks. Medical externships can be completed in many healthcare settings, such as:
- Private practices
- Hospitals
- Outpatient clinics
- Assisted living facilities
At Prism Career Institute, we require that students complete 150 hours of their medical assistant externship. Most medical externships can be done while finishing classes. However, this can vary depending on state and school requirements. For example, community colleges may require that you complete an externship throughout a semester. To find an externship, students can rely on their accredited institution for help. In the case of Prism Career Institute, we assist students in finding the right medical assistant externship and potential employment opportunities following graduation.
Medical Assistant Externship Tasks
For most of their medical assisting externship, students are required to shadow other medical assistants and healthcare professionals. They observe how medical assistants handle everyday tasks, issues, and procedures that arise. They may also complete small medical tasks under the supervision of professionals, like checking vitals. A medical externship is a great opportunity to learn job aspects that cannot be taught in a classroom setting. This can include things like:
- Communicate with patients
- Work with colleagues
- Meet workplace demands
Students are encouraged to be engaged and ask many questions throughout their externship. This way, they can make the most out of their education and earn essential experience in the medical assistant field.
Benefits of Completing a Medical Assistant Externship
Completing a medical assistant externship can provide many essential benefits when it comes to working as a medical assistant, including:
Job Prospects
A medical externship gives you the connections needed to find a job following graduation. It allows students to network with professionals in the healthcare industry, giving them a better chance of getting the job they want after courses are completed. This is because medical professionals have the resources to provide job recommendations, and sometimes even job offers. You can develop close relationships with other medical assistants, nurses, and doctors, which can also put you above other candidates looking for a job as a medical assistant.
Experience in the Field
The biggest advantage to completing a medical externship is that you can earn important, necessary experience that a medical assistant requires before entering the field. It allows you to use the skills you learned in the classroom and apply them in a real, professional work setting. You can also learn aspects of the job that can’t be covered in a classroom setting, like professional conduct and interacting with patients and coworkers.
Make Career Decisions
Completing a medical assistant externship can help students determine if a career as a medical assistant suits them. It can also inform students of what aspects of the job they enjoy and which ones they don’t. In addition, it allows them to gain experience in specific medical settings. Combined, this makes it easy for students to determine where they want to work following graduation.
For example, if a student completes their externship in an urgent care setting, they may learn that they don’t enjoy the fast-paced environment and long workdays. Completing a medical externship gives students the chance to explore other career options after they graduate, like working in a private practice.
Complete Your Medical Assistant Degree
At Prism Career Institute, students can rely on our helpful resources and experienced instructors to assist them in their journey to success. We have campuses in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including Philadelphia, Cherry Hill, and West Atlantic City. To learn more about completing a medical assistant externship through our medical assistant program, contact us or apply online today.