Welcome!

The UIC Department of Family Medicine welcomes you as a clinical preceptor in our medical student education program. We thank you for taking on a critical role in the development of future family physicians. All of us in the UIC DFM recognize the time, commitment and energy needed to assume this added responsibility.

You have the tools and experience to help our students to succeed.  We want to let you know that we are here to support your efforts and help you excel in your goals as a community preceptor!

As the clerkship progresses, the students will have various responsibilities that they will need to fulfill and you, as a preceptor, will have certain roles aimed at the student’s successful advancement and proper oversight.

Overview

You should be very familiar with the student’s responsibilities for the M3 Clerkship in the M3 Student Orientation Manual.  In order to help you, as a Preceptor, excel within your role, we offer the following guidance.

Preceptor Role Modeling:

  1. Preceptors should emphasize the importance of and the approaches which facilitate patient-centered medicine.
  2. Preceptors should understand and actively support the principles of evidence-based medicine.
  3. Preceptors should relate the principles of behavioral medicine and how these principles affect their practice. Through exposure, students, will further appreciate how the principles of behavioral medicine apply to their everyday patient interactions.
  4. Preceptors are encouraged to role model how a physician can balance work and personal life. Students should understand how personal issues can affect his or her delivery of patient care. Students should be shown the positive aspects of life as a family physician.

Preceptor Responsibilities:

  1. The preceptor should employ feedback techniques to promote resident self awareness and improvement.
  2. Signing patient logs – Students are required to record the types of patients they see. Preceptors are to review the student’s list and sign their log sheet on a weekly basis.
  3. Direct observation is a central tool in the ongoing evaluation of a student’s progress. Residents should be directly observed on a regular basis. The form, Modified Mini-CEX Learner Rating Instrument, available online, will give your student the opportunity to receive direct feedback from you through assessment ratings of History OR Physical OR both during patient interactions that you directly observe.
  4. Midterm feedback – Students will prompt you to provide for them a midterm evaluation. This can be done online or on a hardcopy form.   We encourage direct discussion with the students for this activity.  Please fill this out and discuss your thoughts and possible concerns verbally with your students to allow them a chance to improve before the end of the rotation.
  5. Final Evaluation – You are, as well, requested to complete a final evaluation. This can be done online or on a hardcopy form.   We encourage direct discussion with the students for this activity, as well.
  6. Completion of evaluations in a timely fashion – Please complete the evaluations in a timely manner. A delay in completion of the evaluations can delay the student’s grade which can affect their advancement in medical school and their timing of graduation.
  7. Evaluations can be done on paper, as well – There is a way to do evaluations in hard copy format, if you prefer. For information please call Cheron Zei, our medical student education coordinator, at (312) 996-9116 or you can email her at [email protected].

Teaching Site Requirements

  1. Assure that there is always adequate faculty and support staff, including site director, to respond to the students’ needs.
  2. Communicate problems, issues or concerns to the Clerkship Director as soon as possible.
  3. Respond to identified problems and feedback.
  4. Provide a space for students to see patients, do procedures, do chart work, and consult reference material. This area may be shared with other doctors or staff and need not be exclusive to the student. It is important the student not feel he or she is imposing on others by using this space.  The student will need to have high-speed internet access available for reference materials, communications and evaluation.
  5. Introduce the student to his/her colleagues and office staff and orient the resident to the medical and non-medical community.
  6. Make patients aware that the office is a teaching site and seeing students is usual. Patients should understand the rationale of having learners in the practice. All patients should be encouraged to interact with the student. Each teaching site must decide how to deal with patients who are uncomfortable having the student involved in their care.
  7. Provide accessible parking or be available by public transportation.
  8. Ensure that appropriate security systems are in place.

Commitment of UIC DFM

  1. UIC DFM will coordinate all medical student activities and will provide opportunities for faculty development.  In addition, a Clerkship Director and Associate Director will be available to respond to questions or concerns and provide guidance to the community preceptors.
  2. Description of Benefits available to site faculty: Please refer to the Preceptor Resources