Building Tomorrow’s Health Care Teams Through the Enhanced Extern Program

At Ontario Health, we recognize that the future of care relies on the support we provide today. The Enhanced Extern Program is an example of how we are supporting the growth of our health workforce.

Opening Doors to Real-World Experience

For many nursing and allied health students, the path from the classroom to a career can feel uncertain. The Enhanced Extern Program changes that. This initiative helps hospitals across Ontario build capacity and strengthen the health workforce by offering clinical learners employment opportunities as externs. These externs, working under the supervision of regulated health care professionals, contribute in unregulated care provider roles, allowing them to gain valuable experience and build on their training in a hospital setting.

By offering paid, hands-on work in hospitals, students get to step into the heart of health care learning from experienced teams, growing their skills and discovering what it truly means to care for others. For many, this is more than just a job –⁠ it’s the first step toward a lifelong career in health care.

Making a Lasting Impact

The Enhanced Extern Program is already making a difference. Hospitals are hiring externs for permanent positions, strengthening their teams for the long term. This cycle of learning, working and hiring helps prevent staffing shortages and ensures patients across Ontario continue to receive high-quality care.

“The Enhanced Extern Program has become a cornerstone of support across three sites at Waterloo Regional Health Network. Clinical Externs bring energy, compassion, and a strong willingness to learn –⁠ qualities that have made a real difference in patient care and team dynamics,” says Hannah Kuebler, Manager, Professional Practice at Waterloo Regional Health Network, one of the hospital sites that participate in this program. “Externs have supplemented team ratios, supported quality initiatives and improved patient engagement. As WRHN looks to the future, we’re excited to see this program soar, supporting externs in their development, and welcoming many into registered roles. Their impact is felt across the organization.”

Growing to Meet the Needs of Ontario

Leading the charge at Ontario Health is Amandeep Bhatti, a lead on the Health Workforce team, who has seen the Enhanced Extern Program grow rapidly over the past year. Hospitals across Ontario are embracing externs in high-need areas like emergency departments and medical-surgical floors, where extra hands make a real difference for staff and patients alike.

“We’ve seen remarkable growth in the extern program. What’s exciting is the gradual inclusion of more allied health students – like those in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and respiratory therapy,” says Amandeep. “Smaller hospitals are beginning to welcome these students, which is a promising step toward building a more diverse and resilient health care workforce.”

A Foundation Built on Partnership

The program’s success is rooted in strong relationships and clear communication. Each year, students are matched with hospitals twice –⁠ once in October and again in February –⁠ensuring hospitals are ready to welcome new team members during busy periods. This thoughtful approach, combined with open dialogue between hospitals and program leaders, sees thousands of students participating in the extern program and provides over 4.5 million hours of coverage annually.

“The program is more than just a learning opportunity – it's a strategic recruitment tool. By giving nursing and allied health students hands-on experience across diverse hospital settings, we’re not only supporting their careers but also strengthening our workforce,” shares Amandeep. “The program’s success in converting externs into permanent hires is helping us address the need for more staff and long-term retention, because we start from the beginning.”

Looking Forward: Reaching More Communities

Ontario Health is committed to optimizing the utilization of externs across the health system and will be working with the Ministry of Long-Term Care to launch a new extern pilot program in long-term care in 2026/27.