Plural of extern; medical or educational trainees who work at an institution during the day but do not live there; also, people who are external to an organization.
From extern (Latin externus, 'external') + -s (English plural marker). Used especially in medical education and training contexts.
American medical schools adopted the French extern/intern distinction—externs do clinical rotations without the badge of being residents, a crucial status marker that affects salary, responsibility, and hierarchy in hospitals.
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