Course completion requires a minimum of 40 hours of externships.  All externship hours are not required to be cpmpleted by the end of the course classroom curriculum, but are required for successful course completion.  Externship hours are a personal committment of the student's time for which our school has no control.  There is no question that performing externships results in job placement.  Oftentimes the dentist evaluating our externs will recommend contacting a colleague who currently is seeking an assistant.  

The externship is intended to further qualify the student training and to provide exposure to the actual working environment.  The student will have the opportunity to participate in the externship program, on a day by day basis, in multiple dental practices to provide some exposure to the various dental specialties.  The externship program will become available after the sixth week of the Dental Assisting course is completed.  Students may choose days and specialties in which to participate anytime after the initial six weeks is completed, or if more convenient, the externship hours may be performed after the completion of the entire classroom course.  Externship availability is entirely dependent upon participating practice availability and schedules. 

Many students have been hired as a direct result of externships.  We require at least 40 hours of externships, but highly recommend 100 to 150 hours if not yet employed.  Our recommendation is continue doing them, as time permits, until a position is secured.  Hours of externships on resumes are very important.  The more, the better, as externship hours equate to experience.  Also, externships can be considered working interviews in the right place at the right time.  Always consider them as interviews.