PAEA Preceptor Flyer

Clinical preceptors play an essential role in the education of the next generation of physician assistants. Clinical preceptors open up their practices to students and spend time educating them on the proper clinical evaluation and treatment of their patients. Clinical preceptors may include licensed physicians and other licensed health care providers such as PAs and nurse practitioners.

Clinicians who have a desire to teach and to give back to their profession and its next generation of health care providers are encouraged to contact PA programs in their area. The process then involves a dialogue between the program and the potential preceptor about the program's expectations and educating preceptors about the ideal level of involvement that the program expects its students to have.

Clinical preceptors are a valuable commodity and are in high demand. The main reward that preceptors receive is the knowledge that they are helping to ensure that capable and competent health care providers are entering the United States health care delivery system. Many preceptors also point to the joy of teaching and giving back to profession. Many programs also award the preceptors adjunct faculty status, library privileges, tuition remission, and other rewards as gestures of gratitude.

Clinical preceptors should feel connected to the PA program that is sending students to them. They should be informed of the program's expectations and how to contact the program if needed. Programs should have regular communication with preceptors during the clinical training of the students.

Typically, the preceptor helps determine the student’s final grade for the rotation. Preceptors should be made aware of the program's grading procedures and the proper scoring of the students. Usually, the student is assessed on history and physical examination skills, documentation, case presentations, patient education, and treatment plans. Professionalism, which includes dress, demeanor, cultural awareness and sensitivity, and punctuality, is also part of the student assessment.

Physicians may be interested in having students rotate at their sites if they are considering hiring a PA in the future and they want to learn what it would be like to have one in their practice. After precepting a few students they can make a more informed decision as to who is the best fit for their practice. Programs often inform their students and preceptors that a rotation can be a low-stress, long interview period which allows the employer and student to assess their compatibility and potentially make better hiring and acceptance of employment decisions. Students also will have a better sense as to whether they want to work for a particular practice after spending considerable time there. Many PA students get their first job through a clinical rotation.

The best way to keep preceptors excited about training student PAs is to consistently send them professional, mature, and motivated students. Students rotating at clinical practices tend to slow down patient movement at those practices but they may be able to add some value through providing current standard of care practice knowledge and to provide patient education for patients in the practice. With the correct teaming of the preceptor and student, it is potentially a very good situation to have both students and preceptors having a worthwhile and educational experience.

The following resources may be helpful to those who wish to learn more about precepting: What can we learn from our successful clinical preceptors? (2007 PAEA Annual Education Forum)

The Residents Teaching Skills Web site
A free site supported by grants as a service to the medical education community.

Clinical Teaching Perception Inventory (CTPI)
This site gives users immediate feedback on their teaching style.

• Strategies for integrating learners into a busy practice
• E-learning tools that include a number of different modules on precepting skills such as setting expectations, giving feedback and the evaluation of learners.
• For a nominal fee, CME credit is available after completing a module.
• A list of resources