MAA EXTERNSHIP
Medical Administrative Assistant Externship in New York
Your complete guide to gaining hands-on front-office healthcare experience across The Empire State. Build administrative skills, professional connections, and a pathway to employment.
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Flexible
Hours
40-80
Hours Recommended
28,000+
NY Medical Offices
$0
Externship Cost
12,500+
Annual Openings
Why Get an MAA Externship?
A Medical Administrative Assistant externship gives you real-world front-office healthcare experience that employers value. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, medical secretaries and administrative assistants earn a median salary of $40,000+ with strong job growth. Hands-on experience sets you apart from other candidates.
An externship helps you:
- ✓ Practice scheduling, patient check-in, and EHR systems in a real medical environment
- ✓ Build professional references from healthcare supervisors
- ✓ Discover which medical office setting fits you best (primary care, specialty, hospital)
- ✓ Convert your externship into a job offer — many sites hire their externs
New to healthcare? EHired offers free training to prepare you for AMCA MAAC certification. An externship is optional but highly recommended for building confidence and connections.
⚠️ Important: EHired does NOT place, arrange, or supervise externships. You contact facilities directly to arrange your own placement. This self-managed approach gives you flexibility to choose sites near your home and build direct relationships with potential employers.
How to Find an Externship in New York
Follow this step-by-step process to secure a front-office healthcare externship.
Identify Potential Sites
Look for healthcare facilities with front-office administrative staff:
- ✓ Physician practices — Primary care, family medicine, internal medicine
- ✓ Specialty clinics — All specialties-world-class academic medicine, community health, every specialty imaginable
- ✓ Hospital admissions/registration — Front desk, patient access
- ✓ Urgent care centers — FastMed, Concentra, CityMD
- ✓ Medical billing companies — Revenue cycle management
- ✓ Health insurance offices — Claims processing, member services
Prepare Your Approach
Get ready before contacting sites:
- ✓ Update your resume — Include EHired training, any office/admin experience
- ✓ Prepare a pitch — "I'm completing MAA training and seeking hands-on front-office experience"
- ✓ Highlight your skills — Computer proficiency, customer service, attention to detail
- ✓ Be flexible — Offer to work their schedule, start immediately
- ✓ Dress professionally — Business casual for in-person visits
Make Contact
Reach out to facilities directly:
- ✓ Call first — Ask for the office manager or practice administrator
- ✓ Visit in person — Drop off resume, ask to speak with manager
- ✓ Email if provided — Brief, professional, attach resume
- ✓ Explain the arrangement — Unpaid, flexible hours, eager to learn
- ✓ Follow up — If no response in 1 week, call again politely
Complete Your Externship
Make the most of your experience:
- ✓ Track your hours — Log date, hours, and tasks performed
- ✓ Learn actively — Ask questions, volunteer for tasks
- ✓ Be reliable — Show up on time, every time
- ✓ Build relationships — Get to know staff, show appreciation
- ✓ Ask about openings — Express interest in future employment
Sample Script: Calling a Medical Office
"Hi, my name is [Your Name]. I'm completing a Medical Administrative Assistant training program and I'm looking to gain hands-on front-office experience through an externship. I'm wondering if your practice might have room for an extern? I'm flexible with scheduling, I'm proficient with computers and EHR systems, and I'd be happy to help with patient check-in, scheduling, phones, and whatever the front desk needs. Would it be possible to speak with the office manager about this opportunity?"
Key points to emphasize: You're trained, you're free help, you're flexible, and you can handle phones and computers. Many medical offices are understaffed at the front desk and welcome extra help.
Where to Find Externships in New York
New York has thousands of medical offices, clinics, and healthcare facilities with front-office positions. Here are potential externship sites by region.
New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island)
World's healthcare capital with NYU, Mount Sinai, NewYork-Presbyterian, Northwell, and more.
Medical Groups & Health Systems:
NYU Langone Medical Associates, Mount Sinai Doctors, NewYork-Presbyterian physicians, Northwell Health Physician Partners, NYC Health + Hospitals
Specialty Clinics:
Columbia Cardiology, NYU Orthopedics, Mount Sinai Dermatology, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Weill Cornell specialists
Hospital Systems:
NewYork-Presbyterian, Mount Sinai, NYU Langone, Northwell, NYC Health + Hospitals, Memorial Sloan Kettering
💡 NYC is world's healthcare capital. Extremely competitive for top institutions. Community health centers offer entry opportunities. Very high cost of living.
Long Island (Nassau, Suffolk Counties)
NYC suburbs with Northwell Health dominating Long Island healthcare.
Medical Groups & Health Systems:
Northwell Health Physician Partners, Catholic Health Physicians, Stony Brook Medicine, ProHEALTH physicians
Specialty Clinics:
Long Island Cardiology, Orlin & Cohen Orthopedics, Northwell Dermatology, Northwell Cancer Institute
Hospital Systems:
Northwell Long Island Jewish, Stony Brook University Hospital, South Shore University Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital
💡 Long Island is Northwell territory-huge system with many opportunities. Stony Brook offers academic experience. Suburban lifestyle near NYC.
Hudson Valley/Westchester (Westchester, Orange, Dutchess Counties)
NYC northern suburbs with Westchester Medical Center and Montefiore.
Medical Groups & Health Systems:
Westchester Medical Center Health Network, Montefiore Medical Group, CareMount Medical, Optum Tri-State
Specialty Clinics:
Westchester Cardiology, Orthopedic Associates of Westchester, Westchester Dermatology, Westchester Cancer Center
Hospital Systems:
Westchester Medical Center, Montefiore Nyack, Orange Regional Medical Center, MidHudson Regional Hospital
💡 Hudson Valley offers suburban quality of life with NYC accessibility. Growing healthcare market as NYC expands northward.
Upstate New York (Erie, Monroe, Onondaga, Albany Counties)
Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany with major academic medical centers.
Medical Groups & Health Systems:
Kaleida Health physicians, Rochester Regional Health, SUNY Upstate physicians, Albany Medical Center physicians, University of Rochester Medical Center
Specialty Clinics:
Buffalo Cardiology, Rochester Orthopedics, Upstate Dermatology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Wilmot Cancer Institute
Hospital Systems:
Buffalo General, Strong Memorial Hospital, SUNY Upstate University Hospital, Albany Medical Center, Roswell Park
💡 Upstate NY has excellent healthcare with much lower cost of living than NYC. Rochester and Buffalo have world-class systems. Less competitive.
What You'll Learn During Your Externship
A front-office healthcare externship exposes you to real administrative workflows. Here are skills you'll develop:
Appointment Scheduling
Booking, rescheduling, and managing patient appointments. Learning scheduling software and optimizing provider calendars.
Patient Check-In/Out
Greeting patients, verifying demographics, collecting copays, updating contact information, and discharge procedures.
EHR/EMR Systems
Navigating electronic health records like Epic, Cerner, or Athena. Entering data, scanning documents, managing patient charts.
Insurance Verification
Verifying patient coverage, understanding copays/deductibles, prior authorizations, and eligibility checks.
Billing Basics
Understanding CPT and ICD codes, charge entry, payment posting, and patient billing inquiries.
Phone & Communication
Professional phone etiquette, message taking, patient callbacks, and coordinating with clinical staff.
Ready to Start Your MAA Career in New York?
Free to enroll. Free to learn. Pay $850 only when you're ready to certify.
No credit card required • No FAFSA • No obligation