Roles and Responsibilities

medical team discussing case at front desk

Preceptor Roles and Responsibilities

The preceptor serves a central role in the clinical education of PA students. They are responsible for supervising the students' clinical experiences and providing feedback about student educational progress during the second year. Clinical preceptors must be licensed and certified PAs, MDs, DOs, NPs, and Nurse Midwives. Upon partnering with our program through a formal affiliation process, the primary preceptor must:

  • Review and remain familiar with the clinical rotation learning outcomes and instructional objectives.
  • Provide the student with a physical location to complete medical records, adequate clinical space for clinical encounters, and provide/arrange a variety of patient encounters necessary for an appropriate learning experience.
  • Supervise the PA student, defined as being physically present in the clinical environment for consultation, when needed.
  • Provide an orientation to the rotation and review the clerkship learning outcomes and instructional objectives to assure that the student will have a broad clinical experience given that not all diseases or disorders can be observed in one practice setting during a limited time frame.
  • Demonstrate, teach, and observe/supervise the PA student in clinical activities to develop the student’s knowledge and skills and to ensure proper patient care.
  • Ensure that the PA student practices within their competence and/or legal authority.
  • Assimilate students into the full clinical or inpatient schedule of activities.  When applicable, the students should work during different shifts including days, nights, overnights, and on-call. A minimum of 32 hours per week of direct patient care is required. 
  • Review and co-sign all student medical record entries.
  • Actively evaluate all aspects of the student’s clinical skills and knowledge base.
  • Offer timely constructive feedback to students and the Program regarding strengths and areas of improvement.

If you are interested in becoming a clinical preceptor, please review the above description and submit this form. Thank you for your interest!