At Hawai‘i Medical College, we know that learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door. Real-world experience is a crucial part of preparing for a healthcare career and it’s often the bridge that turns education into employment. That’s where externships come in.

For students at HMC, externships aren’t just an add-on, they’re a key part of every program. Whether you’re studying to become a Clinical Medical Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, or Healthcare Administrator, you’ll get the opportunity to put your skills to work in a real healthcare setting before you graduate.

This hands-on experience often leads to much more than just confidence. It leads to job offers!

What Is an Externship?

An externship is a short-term, supervised work experience that takes place during the final phase of your program. Think of it as a professional test drive: you’re applying what you’ve learned, gaining on-the-job training, and getting to know what a day in the field really looks like.

HMC partners with clinics, pharmacies, hospitals, and private medical practices across the islands to place students in externship sites that match their program and interests. These placements are local, supportive, and often directly connected to hiring pipelines.

Why It Matters

The jump from school to career can be intimidating—but externships ease that transition. Here’s how:

  • Real-World Confidence: Externships let students take what they’ve learned and apply it to real situations, whether that’s taking vitals, preparing prescriptions, or managing patient records.

  • Professional Networking: Working alongside healthcare teams allows students to make valuable connections, many of whom become future coworkers or mentors.

  • Employment Opportunities: Many externship sites end up hiring the very students they trained. Employers get to see your work ethic and personality firsthand, and students get to showcase their skills in a real setting.

At HMC, we regularly hear stories of students who receive job offers before they even complete their program. Clinics and pharmacies are eager to bring on reliable, trained professionals and externships offer them a front-row seat to the talent coming out of HMC.

Local Partners, Local Careers

Because HMC is deeply rooted in Hawai‘i, our externship sites are too. We work with a wide network of local employers who are committed to building the next generation of healthcare workers here at home. From small family-run clinics to busy pharmacies and urgent care centers, these organizations understand the unique needs of Hawai‘i’s communities. Given this, they value the local perspective HMC students bring.

By training and working in the islands, students not only build their careers, they also help strengthen the healthcare system in their own neighborhoods.

Support at Every Step

HMC’s Career Services team works closely with each student to help them prepare for and succeed in their externship placement. That includes:

  • Resume and interview coaching

  • Site matching based on skills and goals

  • Ongoing check-ins during the externship

  • Job placement support after graduation

You’re not just sent out on your own. We make sure you’re ready and supported every step of the way.

From First Day to First Job

For many students, the externship is when everything clicks. It’s where classroom knowledge becomes second nature. It’s where theory becomes practice. And often, it’s where a future career begins.

Whether you’re just starting to explore healthcare or already enrolled and preparing for graduation, know this: your education at HMC doesn’t stop at textbooks. It extends into real workplaces, with real patients, and real opportunities.

Want to learn more about how externships set our students up for success? Visit hmi.edu/careers to see how your path can start at HMC—and lead to a healthcare career you love.