Requirements for Preceptors

Clinical Preceptors: Preceptors work directly with the students and are instrumental as role models. The students may have one or more preceptors. One preceptor will be designated as the principal preceptor for the rotation.

1. Select patients for students to see. Ideally, the students should see patients with a mix of common acute and chronic outpatient problems.
2. Allow students to perform patient evaluations independently..
3. Allow students to present the history and physical exam of the patient and encourage the student to discuss possible diagnoses, treatment plans and ways in which a particular illness might have been prevented. Because complicated patients cannot be fully analyzed in a single encounter, preceptors may have the student focus on a specific issue, i.e. differential diagnosis, choice of test, use of consultant, explanation of diagnosis to the patient, counseling patient. Students will write notes in the patients medical record. These notes must be read and countersigned by the preceptor.
4. Provide on-going feedback to students about their progress and ways on which they can improve.
5. Participate in student performance evaluation at the end of the rotation.

Principal Preceptor: In addition to the above, the principal preceptor will:

1. Provide midway feedback: the end of second week or beginning of the third week the principal preceptor should schedule a 15 minute meeting with the student to provide formative feedback about the student's clinical performance to date in the clerkship.
2. Guide the student in the selection of a topic for a paper and oral presentation and evaluate these.
3. At the end of the clerkship, observe the student performing a focused history and physical examination (e.g. evaluation of patient with a sore throat or earache)
4. Participate in the student evaluation and grading process at the end of the clerkship. The principal preceptor must coordinate student evaluations by other preceptors who worked with the student. The principal preceptor will review the student's encounter card for completeness, grade the student's written exercise, observe the student performing a focused history and physical examination, and attend the student's oral presentation. All aspects of the student's performance will be considered in the evaluation process and will be used to determine the student's final grade. The student's final grade for the clerkship will be given to the student by the clerkship director (see section on evaluation process).
5. Review patient encounter cards on a weekly basis to assess types of patients seen by the student and the completeness of the cards.