Porter and Chester Institute offers the unique opportunity to experience your new career path firsthand. Even before you graduate and enter the workforce, you can get a sneak peek into what your career might be like, with an externship. Through the medical assisting program, you’ll be placed on an externship to give you the real world experience you need to graduate and advance toward career success.  At Dr. Waterman’s Comprehensive Family Foot Center in Middletown, Connecticut, Jenn Mattison, a certified medical assistant, oversees the students who join the office through the externship program. Jenn trains and supervises students who are learning to become medical assistants. She says it’s a “fast paced, but positive learning environment.” She adds, “Porter and Chester students come prepared and are always eager to learn.” The biggest challenge for students tends to be the front office work, which is especially busy and even hectic at times. The front office needs to schedule all appointments and answer the phone, but with a can-do attitude, students are able to adapt. Jenn says that the Porter and Chester students really excel when it comes to providing quality patient care. Dr. Waterman’s office offers a wide range of services including treatment for common podiatric conditions, office surgeries, and wound care. Jenn says that the Porter and Chester students she works with are consistently well rounded and professional, so they adjust to the challenges that the busy medical office can present. Multitasking is a big part of the day-to-day as a medical assistant at Comprehensive Family Foot Center and elsewhere. That’s why an externship is so valuable to the career training process; it is through this experience that students can learn all aspects of what makes a career successful. Porter and Chester Institute understands the importance of a well-rounded professional who can be successful in all aspects of the workplace. That’s why we combine classroom instruction with hands-on experience. An externship allows you to learn by doing. Do you have what it takes to become a medical assistant? Find out with our infographic. We also offer a variety of career programs in computers, the trades, and more!