Yesterday I submitted my externship papers to the college with the program names where I will be attending and spending five months of my 4^th year. Externships are similar to Internships in that they provide hands on training and exceptional learning opportunities but are usually shorter and offered by learning institutions to give the students 5-6 months of clinical experiences in their field of study before graduation.

          Of the more than 225 Podiatry Residency programs that offer externships, the five that I have applied to and been accepted at are:

·       University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

·       Legacy Health/Kaiser Permanente, Portland, Oregon

·       Cleveland Clinic/Kaiser Permanente, Ohio

·       Highlands/Presbyterian St Luke’s, Denver, Colorado

·       Ohio State University Medical Center

          Responsibilities required of the Podiatry student include:

·       Travel to and reside for 1 month at each program

·       Shadow Residents and Attending Physicians in clinic and surgery

·       Take ER calls along with the Residents

·       Attend and participate in journal club, trauma conference, radiology conference, and grand rounds

·       Present a PowerPoint presentation on a chosen topic

It is during these externships that both the student and the host have the chance to observe one another on a very close basis. This provides the student with an idea of which program he/she would like to attend, at the same time a source of networking contacts that may translate over to acceptance of a residency program directly after graduation.