The department provides development initiatives to preceptors so that students get a uniform experience. Preceptors also accept students from other medical teaching institutions. Some preceptors sponsor an open house for their community and students are invited and expected to attend, providing them with a taste of community involvement. Dr. Williams explained that urban and rural Family Medicine practices differ in that the urban Family Medicine physicians have less exposure to pediatrics and obstetrics. Students generally prefer urban Family Medicine practices and do get some exposure to general gynecology.
Preceptors are volunteer faculty and receive clinical appointments.
Dr. Williams believes students would have a better appreciation for primary care, internal medicine and family practice if students had more exposure to rural practices. She added that some preceptors in rural areas, who are associated with the AHECs, provide apartments and travel assistance. Most of the hospitals in these areas also provide free meals to the students at the hospital cafeteria. Students are informed of this in several ways, however, it has always been difficult to get students to work with a preceptor outside the Atlanta metro area. In the past, students were assigned to the outlying areas, but Family Medicine discontinued this since there was so much resistance.