Many Medical Assisting programs require students to complete externships. Externships offer students a valuable opportunity to work in a medical office, allowing them opportunities to gain real-world experience before launching their careers. While your experience will vary depending on the office where you are placed, it’s up to you to make the most of your externship and make it a success. () A medical assistant externship gives you the chance to put the skills you learned in your courses into practice.
What Is a Medical Assistant Externship?
Medical assistant externships are unpaid, hands-on learning opportunities where students apply classroom and lab skills in real-world clinical environments. Throughout the externship, students learn under the supervision of experienced professionals and practice essential duties such as taking vital signs, charting, and gaining professional patient care experience. An externship also provides an opportunity to build professional references. Expect to earn 180 clinical hours over the course of your externship. ()
How to Get a Medical Assistant Externship
Work With Your Training Program
Many training programs help students identify medical assistant externship opportunities, often through partnerships with affiliated healthcare facilities. Your college’s career and student services office should provide placement support.
Prepare for Placement
Before your externship begins, meet with your mentor or sponsor to determine exactly what their expectations are. By doing so, you reduce the possibility of surprises and set yourself up for success. You’re also indicating your professionalism to your sponsor by taking this proactive step.
A medical assistant externship requires some paperwork to ensure a safe environment for patients and healthcare professionals. You’ll likely need to provide the following documentation:
- Proof of immunizations, including hepatitis B, MMR, Varicella, and a recent TB test.
- A clear background check.
- The results of a drug screening test.
- A program letter from your college confirming your enrollment, liability coverage, and required clinical hours.
- BLS/CPR certification.
Check with your college’s medical assisting program for a complete list of necessary documentation.
Be Ready to Learn
A medical assistant externship is an opportunity to demonstrate your willingness to learn. Before the externship starts, review classroom concepts and ask any questions you have about how your assigned healthcare facility works. While it’s unpaid, approach your externship with the same professionalism you’d bring to any job, and your chance of securing professional references will improve.
What to Expect During Your Medical Assistant Externship
Externships may take place in primary care, urgent care, specialty clinics, or outpatient centers. You’ll observe or assist with common administrative and clinical tasks under supervision, such as:
- Recording patient medical histories.
- Measuring vital signs.
- Scheduling patient appointments.
- Helping physicians with patient examinations
- Performing basic laboratory tests.
- Sterilizing medical instruments. ()
Specific responsibilities may vary by site.
Tips for a Successful Medical Assistant Externship
- Be punctual and dependable.
- Communicate professionally.
- Be open to feedback.
- Stay organized.
- Look for opportunities to develop your skills.
Remember that an externship is part of the learning process, so don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice. If you are ever unsure of how to complete a task or find it to be too challenging, ask the medical professionals you are working with to guide you and provide some tips for success.
Start Your Medical Assistant Journey With Â鶹´«Ã½
Interested in a medical assistant career? Learn more about Â鶹´«Ã½â€™s Medical Assisting Program. Students can earn their certificate of achievement in as few as 9 months.
Resources
- Marshall, Jackie, ‘Medical Assisting Made Incredibly Easy,’ 2008 –
- Â鶹´«Ã½. (2025, March 25). Medical Assisting program profile (PRO_MA_250325).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (n.d.). Medical assistants. Occupational Outlook Handbook. U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved July 18, 2026, from
