Organization and planning are the keys to successful precepting of medical students in a community family practice setting, according to speakers at a Consultations in Career Development session held during Assembly. The faculty speakers for the session were Kent J. Sheets, PhD, associate professor and director of educational development at the University of Michigan Department of Family Medicine in Ann Arbor, and Richard D. Kiovsky, MD, associate clinical professor of family medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis.
Nothing is more important than getting on the right foot.
Remember, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. On the first day, take time to sit down with the student in private and ask about the student's learning expectations, educational experiences, and personal background. Tell him or her about your own expectations and background. Introduce the student to the staff and make him or her feel special, welcome, and part of the team. At the end of each day, go over the next day's schedule and prepare the student for seeing patients who offer some educational benefits.