How long does it take to become a Medical Assistant Externship?

It takes 3 years of professional experience to become a medical assistant externship. That is the time it takes to learn specific medical assistant externship skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education.

How To Become A Medical Assistant Externship: What It Is and Career Path

What is a medical assistant externship and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Janice Noteboom, MHA/Ed., CMA (AAMA)

As a medical assistant extern, you get to learn about all of the ins and outs of becoming a medical assistant, without actually committing to the profession or even an internship. Both of those are longer-term experiences whereas, as an extern, you get to take some time to figure out if becoming a medical assistant extern is what you want to do.

The externship is short, but it still provides you enough experience that you'll have some edge when it comes to going into the workforce. Employers are always impressed with externships, so it certainly wouldn't hurt you to become a medical assistant extern.

Medical assistant externships are generally set up through a college or university. You'll have a lot of different opportunities as a medical assistant extern. You'll get choose what areas you get to explore, which will include spending your externship in a clinic, doctor's office, or hospital. So make sure you choose wisely.

What general advice would you give to a medical assistant externship?

Janice Noteboom, MHA/Ed., CMA (AAMA)

Faculty Coordinator of Allied Health/Medical Assistant Program Director, Midstate College

-LIKE- People who enjoy working as a Medical Assistant do it because they get a
great satisfaction from help other people. They are often the first contact with the
patient in the medical facility, which sets the tone for the rest of the visit.
They feel good making sure that their patients have the right information that they
need, the appropriate medical care they need, and helping patients feel better.
Good problem-solving skills, compassion, understanding, patience and keeping
up with a fast-paced office is very rewarding.
-DISLIKE- Some Medical Assistants have determined that there are
area/tasks/etc. that they dislike, listed below are some of these things:
 You’re always around people who are sick
 Long work hours can include 10 or 12-hour days
 Lower starting salary, which is usually based on education and
experience level
 Having to deal with stressful situations and difficult patients
 Dealing with patients who are angry, cranky, anxious or not feeling well
 Working under pressure from extremely tight deadlines

ScoreMedical Assistant ExternshipUS Average

Salary

2.8

Avg. Salary $35,460

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.9

Growth rate 16%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.81%

Asian 9.28%

Black or African American 9.83%

Hispanic or Latino 24.89%

Unknown 4.66%

White 50.53%

Gender

female 84.74%

male 15.26%

Age - 35

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 35

Stress level

7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.4

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

8.6

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a medical assistant externship

Explore medical assistant externship education requirements

Most common medical assistant externship degrees

Diploma

30.9 %

Certificate

25.8 %

Associate

21.0 %

Start to develop specific medical assistant externship skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	24.05%
Vital Signs	12.88%
EKG	8.09%
Office Procedures	6.73%
Exam Rooms	5.53%

Complete relevant medical assistant externship training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New medical assistant externships learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a medical assistant externship based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real medical assistant externship resumes.

Gain additional medical assistant externship certifications

Medical assistant externship certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific medical assistant externship certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for medical assistant externships include Medical Assistant and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).

More About Certifications

Research medical assistant externship duties and responsibilities

Adhere to OSHA guidelines while performing instrument sterilization in addition to managing medical inventory.
Perform various clinical duties, such as vital signs, EKG's, urinalysis, PFT's, and rooming/interviewing patients.
Interview patients during check-in/check-out procedures to obtain their medical information following HIPAA standards.
Perform EKG, pregnancy test, vision & hearing examinations, as well as analyzed and document controls for urinalysis.

Prepare your medical assistant externship resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your medical assistant externship resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a medical assistant externship resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable medical assistant externship resume templates

Build a professional medical assistant externship resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your medical assistant externship resume.