Medical Assistant Externship
Community Health Network is committed to supporting the development of highly qualified, professional, and patient-focused medical assistants through meaningful, real-world clinical experiences. We partner with affiliated schools to provide high-quality medical assistant externships in our physician offices and ambulatory clinics. These hands-on training opportunities are designed to strengthen clinical preparation and often serve as a bridge to employment as a medical assistant.
For questions about eligibility or the application process, please email MAExterns@eCommunity.com.
Eligibility Requirements
To participate in a Community Health Network medical assistant externship, you must meet all of the following criteria:
- You are currently enrolled in a medical assistant program that includes an externship as a graduation requirement.
- Your school has a current affiliation agreement with Community Health Network.
- Your instructor or program coordinator has initiated contact with our team regarding your placement.
- You are in good academic standing and have not yet graduated from your program.
- Your placement request is submitted at least one month in advance of your intended start date.
- You are able to commit to a minimum 100-hour externship with at least 32 hours per week in the practice or office.
About the Experience
- Externships are offered in a variety of locations, primarily in family medicine and internal medicine offices.
- A limited number of placements may be available in specialties such as cardiac, endocrinology, and women's health.
- A preceptor will be assigned to support your experience and evaluate your progress based on your school's checklist and requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I apply if I've already graduated from my MA program?
A: No. We only accept students who are currently enrolled and require an externship for program completion.
Q: My school isn't partnered with Community Health Network. Can I still apply?
A: Unfortunately, no. We only accept students from schools that have an active affiliation agreement with us. Please check with your instructor or program coordinator to confirm. We evaluate new affiliation agreement requests directly received from the school's coordinator.
Q: Can I reach out to a Community Health Network practice or office directly to request placement?
A: We prefer that you do not reach out to practices with these requests. All placement requests must be coordinated internally through our clinical placement team. Practices are not permitted to accept externs independently.
Q: Can I apply on my own without my instructor contacting you first?
A: All applications must be initiated by a school official. We do not accept direct student applications without prior school contact.
Q: Do you offer paid externships?
A: Our externships are unpaid and designed to fulfill educational program requirements.
Q: I'm an MA student but not ready for my externship yet—can I still reach out?
A: You are welcome to learn more about our opportunities, but placement discussions should begin once you're nearing the externship portion of your program and your school is ready to coordinate.
Medical Assistant: Day in the Life
Explore the videos below to learn more about a career as a medical assistant at Community hospitals, from Anderson to Kokomo. To quickly switch videos click on 1/6 in the upper right.