Clinical Preceptors

A large part of the success of the Presbyterian College Physician Assistant Program is its strong clinical experiences. We could not provide this excellent education without the expertise, time and compassion of our clinical preceptors. This page provides information for our preceptors, from those new to this process to our seasoned educators. 

PC Physician Assistant Program Overview

The Presbyterian College PA Program is comprised of 24 months of learning. The first 12 are dedicated to didactic learning, and the second 12 months are focused on clinical experiences. We have seven core rotations lasting 6 weeks (Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Surgery, Psychiatry, and Women’s Health) and one elective rotation. 

Our Students

Our students have a diverse amount of healthcare experiences and will traditionally excel in their clinical rotations. See our Curriculum page for detailed information about our classes.  Physician Assistant students are trained to take medical histories, perform physical exams, develop differential diagnoses and treatment plans, and document their findings under the supervision and education of a clinical experience preceptor.

Preceptor Expectations

We accept preceptors from all specialties and locations. Preceptors may be physicians (MD/DO) or physician assistants and must be licensed and board certified in their area of expertise. Clinical experiences must provide enough hours, patient contact hours, and experiences as deemed in line with the program expectations.

Professional Development & Recognition

Category II CME

The time our preceptors spend educating our students can also be reported by the preceptor to NCCPA as Category II credits on an hour-by-hour basis and does not require documentation from the PA Program (six-week rotation = 240 hours)

AAPA Clinical Preceptor Recognition Program

The Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) and American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) offer formal recognition of your efforts through the Clinical Preceptor Recognition Program. Join this program and add the designation Clinical Preceptor AAPA after your name (CPAAPA). Eligibility requirements are summarized below and the online application may be found here.

Requirements:

    • Be a current AAPA fellow or sustaining member
    • Have served as a preceptor for at least eight weeks on average for the last two years
    • Be endorsed by a PA program(s) that you have supported as a preceptor.
    • If you meet the above requirements and are interested in applying, please email the Presbyterian College PA Program Clinical Director at tboyd@presby.edu to request the completed endorsement.

PC Physician Assistant Documents

Preceptor Handbook

The PA Student Bulletin, and clinical course syllabi are available to all preceptors and clinical sites through the secure online tracking portal via individual account access. Sites and preceptors will also be delivered copies of all clinical year documents by the program. If a preceptor would like to request additional copies of the handbooks or course syllabi, please contact the Clinical Director directly.

Other Program Opportunities

If you are interested in helping out the PC PA Program in any other capacity such as teaching, labs, professional days, interviewing or serving as a tutor, we would love to have you. Please send contact information to jawilson@presby.edu or fill out the online Preceptor Information Form.