externship versus review course

[dalegirl]

I am in a quandry, I am in my second last semester and hopefully will graduate this December. The school seems to encourage students to do externships or do a review course for this summer coming up. I work part time and have a small child. I really would like to concentrate on questions during the summer and gain more expertize answering them. I feel I am guilted into to this externships! Are externships that valuable to getting a job or is putting more time into questions more beneficial. The few places I have sought info about seem to indicate that all you allowed to do is VS, fingersticks and am care. I guess the bottom line is, do I need to do an externship? I would prefer not

[Nutmeg5575]

I have never even heard of an externship. Our school doesn't offer them (if it is a school thing). The hospital I plan to work for has a 16 week summer internship and then 2 week orientation for the ER that I plan on applying for.

[dalegirl]

sorry, I should have clarified, externship is the same as internship.

[dalegirl]

In my previous post, I discussed not being sure about an internship. Do hospitals care when they are hiring new graduates??

[smilin_gp]

You might want to ask this to recruiters in your area. In mine, they really do seem to care, but new grad spots can be quite competitive here.

[dalegirl]

Hi, thanks for response, I live in NYC, lots of jobs here, always hiring. I will take your advice.

[tabymac]

Hi,

I actually went to a new-grad luncheon today (Orange county,CA) and they seem to stress externships because:

#1 so that you can decide which department you definitely want to work for once you graduate (so they don't waste $15k-$18k training you, then you decide you really don't like that dept.)

#2 You get oriented with the staff you will eventually be working with (even though you will be observing more than anything else)

#3 you have a "shoe in" for getting hired once you do graduate.

Here in CA, for example, there is a lot of competition to get into an ED new-grad program in most hospitals in Orange county. So, if you get into an externship you won't end up on their "new-grad program waiting list" because you are already "working" for them....

hope that helped.

[dalegirl]

thanks, I am interested in L&D, nursery and nicu.

[Nutmeg5575]

sorry, I should have clarified, externship is the same as internship.

Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[Nutmeg5575]

And I think you should really do the externship. Most people believe you should start in Med/Surg. But since you are like me and wish to start in a different area it is better to do the externship so you won't be totally clueless when you start working in the area. Plus it is hard for new grads to get positions in areas other than med/surg, but if you do the internship or externship it helps your application. At the hospital I want to do my internship at you have to sign a 2 year contract with them and when you get the internship you automatically get that position unless you screw up or change your mind.