ACT Clinical Externships

The clinical externship program at Advanced eClinical Training (ACT) is a guaranteed, nationwide clinical placement designed to bridge the gap between classroom theory and professional competence.

General Externship Terms

Externships are educational in nature and are NOT PAID EMPLOYMENT. Clinical sites determine the scope of permitted activities consistent with applicable regulations, facility policies, and your level of training.

You are expected to comply with all site requirements, which may include background checks, immunizations, drug screening, confidentiality agreements, dress codes, and scheduling expectations. Placement cannot be guaranteed in a specific facility, shift, or geographic area.

Failure to meet site or institutional expectations may result in removal from an externship and may affect program completion status.

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Overview

Advanced eClinical Training (ACT) provides nationwide, guaranteed externship placements for eligible students enrolled in programs that include clinical training. Externships provide hands-on experience in real healthcare environments to support career readiness.

Externships are coordinated, tracked, and documented through Externi, ACT’s externship placement and management system.

Externship Placement & Guarantee

ACT guarantees externship placement for eligible students in programs offering externships by securing at least one appropriate clinical site that aligns with:

• Program requirements
• Student location (typically within a reasonable commuting distance)
• Site availability and capacity
  State and regulatory compliance

Placement timelines may vary based on geography, site onboarding processes, and state requirements. Students must remain responsive and cooperative throughout the placement process to maintain eligibility for the placement guarantee.

Externship Readiness Requirements (All Programs)

Before externship placement coordination begins, students must meet the following readiness criteria:

• Completion of at least 80% of program coursework

• Good academic standing

• Good financial standing
• Completion of Basic Life Support (BLS) certification is required
• Submission of an Externship Request via form: Externship Request Form
• Completion of all required onboarding documentation, which may include:
  • Immunization records
  • Background checks
  • Drug screening (if necessary by site)
  • Government-issued identification
  • Confidentiality and externship agreements

Failure to meet readiness requirements may delay placement or result in loss of eligibility until deficiencies are resolved.

Externship Overview and Requirements

Required Externship Programs

Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT): Mandatory externship with procedure minimums (30 venipunctures + 10 capillary sticks; California CPT-1: 40 venipunctures + 10 capillary sticks). Procedures must be on live patients.

Pharmacy Technician (CPhT): Required externship (typically ~80 hours) in retail and/or hospital pharmacy settings (where available). State rules may require registration/licensure, background checks, and/or certification.

Details:

Phlebotomy (CPT) Externship Policy – Required

The CPT externship is a core requirement of ACT’s Certified Phlebotomy Technician program.

Required Procedures

To meet NHA and, where applicable, California CPT-1 requirements:

• General Requirement (most states)
  • Minimum 30 venipuncture sticks (standard blood draws from a vein)
  • Minimum 10 capillary sticks (finger or heel sticks)
• California CPT-1 Requirement
  • Minimum 40 venipuncture sticks
  • Minimum 10 capillary sticks
  • Total: 50 procedures

All procedures must be performed on live patients (not mannequins or simulation devices).

Procedures must generally be completed within 90 days (3 months) of passing the NHA CPT exam or as required by the state and NHA.

CPT Externship Duration & Schedule

• Typical duration: 4–6 weeks
• Availability: 5 days per week, approximately 5–6 hours/day
  CPT Externship Overview
• Externships are unpaid learning experiences.

CPT externships may occur in:

• Hospitals
• Outpatient laboratories
• Diagnostic labs
• Blood donation centers
• Plasma centers

Pharmacy Technician Externship - Required

Requirement: Part of the CPhT program
Duration: 80 hours
Placement: Upon completion of coursework and passing the CPhT national exam, you will be placed at a retail or hospital pharmacy to gain hands-on training under qualified supervision.

Externship Settings Include:

• Retail pharmacies (national chains or independent pharmacies)
• Hospital or health-system pharmacies
• Specialty or outpatient pharmacy settings (where available)

National Certification Requirements

Students may pursue certification through one of the nationally recognized pathways:

• PTCB (Pharmacy Technician Certification Board – PTCE):
  Candidates must meet PTCB eligibility requirements, which generally include completion of a PTCB-recognized education or training program (or being within 60 days of completion), or qualifying pharmacy work experience, and compliance with PTCB policies.
   
• NHA (ExCPT – National Healthcareer Association):
  Candidates must meet NHA eligibility requirements, which typically include completion of an eligible training program or qualifying work experience, a high school diploma or equivalent, and compliance with NHA testing rules.

ACT supports students pursuing either pathway but does not determine certification eligibility, which is governed solely by the certifying body.

State-by-State Pharmacy Technician Requirements

Pharmacy technician practice and training requirements vary significantly by state and may include:

• State registration or licensure
• Trainee or intern permits
• Age minimums
• Background checks and fingerprinting
• Employer-based supervision requirements
• Certification mandates (PTCB and/or NHA)

Students are responsible for verifying their state’s current requirements with the appropriate Board of Pharmacy. ACT supports students by tracking known state requirements and onboarding steps through Externi but cannot override or waive state regulations.

ACT’s externship placement guarantee applies when students meet all program, site-specific, and state-specific onboarding requirements.

Programs with Included but Optional Externships

Externships are included and guaranteed, but may not be required for graduation in these programs:

• Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA)
• Patient Care Technician (CPCT)
• Physical Therapy Technician (PTT)

Placement: Clinics and facilities nationwide

Opportunity: Upon successful completion of program modules and the national exam, eligible students may participate in optional externship placements.

These externships are coordinated through Externi and are designed to:

• Build hands-on clinical confidence
• Strengthen resumes and job applications
• Provide professional references
• Improve employment outcomes
• Support admission into advanced healthcare programs

Although classified as “optional” for graduation purposes in some cases, these externships are highly recommended and treated by ACT as a standard student success benefit.

What to Expect During Placement

Externships typically last:

• 4–6 weeks for CPT
• 4–12 weeks for MA / CPCT / CPhT / PTT
  (Durations listed in ACT externship brochures.)
  ACT Externship Overview

Students will:

• Work under licensed professionals
• Assist with patient care, front-office tasks, documentation, EHR workflows
• Perform required CPT procedures (blood draws)
• Log hours & skills in Externi daily
• Receive supervisor evaluations and complete reflections

Student Responsibilities During Externship

Students participating in externships are expected to:

• Follow all facility policies, schedules, and dress codes
• Maintain professionalism, punctuality, and respectful communication
• Adhere to HIPAA and patient confidentiality requirements
• Perform only duties permitted within their role and supervision level
• Accurately log hours, procedures, and activities in Externi
• Notify ACT promptly of any issues, concerns, or changes in status

Unprofessional conduct or failure to comply with site or ACT policies may result in removal from the externship site and may affect program completion or certification eligibility.

Self-Arranged Externship Sites

Students may request approval of a self-arranged externship site. All self-arranged placements must:

• Be reviewed and approved by ACT
• Meet program, certification, and regulatory standards
• Complete an affiliation agreement with ACT

Processing new affiliation agreements may take 2–8 weeks, depending on facility responsiveness and legal review.

Externi Platform: Tracking, Documentation, and Compliance

Externi is ACT’s official externship placement and management system, serving as the authoritative record for all externship activities.

Externi is used to:

• Verify student readiness and eligibility
• Manage externship requests and placement matching
• Track onboarding requirements and affiliation agreements
• Log daily hours, attendance, and clinical activities
• Record required procedures (e.g., venipunctures and capillary sticks)
• Capture supervisor evaluations and approvals
• Maintain compliance documentation for accrediting bodies, certifying organizations, and state regulators

Students are required to use Externi for all externship-related documentation. Externship activity that is not recorded and verified in Externi will not be recognized as completed.

Completion & Documentation

Externship completion requires:

• Completion of all the necessary hours
• Completion of necessary procedures (where applicable)
• Supervisor evaluation and sign-off
• Submission and approval of all logs and documentation in Externi
• Completion of any surveys necessary or reflections

Once verified, ACT updates the student record to reflect externship completion and, where applicable, certification exam eligibility.