Dental Assistant Externships Provide Experience, Connections

Practical Experience of Externship is an Essential Part of the Dental Assistant Program

The best thing you can do to prepare for a future career is work hard in school. Participating in class, studying for tests and completing group projects can do a world of good in teaching you about dental assisting. But sometimes, dentists are looking for more than just a good GPA when hiring for a full-time dental assistant position. They want someone with enough educational know-how to succeed, but also someone with some real-world experience – someone who already has an idea of how a dentist’s office realistically functions. That’s where the dental assistant externship comes into play, and here’s why your externship can help.

 

It builds your network of contacts

have you ever said to yourself, “Gee, I wish I didn’t have so many great connections within the dental assisting field”? If so, please disregard.

But all joking aside, completing your externship can greatly enhance your list of trusted contacts. Over the years, this list will grow, helping create even more options for you to expand your dental assisting career. But you’ve got to start somewhere, and externship experience has proven to be an excellent starting point.

You might turn it into a full-time job

There’s a reason dentists like to hire their past externs for full-time positions. Actually, there are a few reasons, such as:

• They’ve already seen your work ethic
• They know how quickly you learn new skills and concepts
• They know you’ve seen how the dental office works

And who knows – maybe your supervisor simply enjoyed working with you and wants to give you every opportunity possible. This is why we suggest that you learn everything you can and build relationships during your dental assisting externship – with dentists, dental hygienists and other externs if there are any – you never know how they can help you when you’re searching for your first dental assistant position.

It adds to your real-world experience

Can you ever really learn enough? We sure don’t think so, which is why we encourage all First Institute students to seek opportunities for improvement wherever possible. Within the Dental Assistant program, you’ll gather the knowledge and skills needed to begin your dental career. But the real-world training you complete during a dental assistant externship can go a long way in preparing you to excel in your position as quickly as possible.

If you have questions about preparing for your dental assistant externship, don’t be afraid to ask your First Institute instructors for assistance and guidance. They’ll be happy to help!