Preceptor Tools for Success: Student Review on Creating an Effective Clinical Rotation

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this article was to explore student perspectives regarding effective preceptors with the intention to improve development of supervised clinical practice experiences. Methods In total, 136 clinical year physician assistant (PA) students, representing 9 accredited PA programs, participated in a mixed-methods survey, including a 5-point Likert scale to identify characteristics of an effective preceptor. The survey achieved a 36.2% response rate. Quantitative data were analyzed based on mean and standard deviation (SD) with the analysis of variance to promote generalizability. Thematic analysis was performed on qualitative responses. Results Students reported the highest level of agreement that an effective preceptor welcomes questions from the student (mean 4.88, SD 0.54), are enthusiastic about having a student (4.84, 0.52), and provide a welcoming support staff who encourages student education (4.71, 0.66). Students also highlighted the positive effect of preceptor engagement during clinical rotations. Conclusion A preceptor who actively engages their student has the greatest positive impact on clinical education. Preceptors can implement clinical teaching strategies from this article to improve student-perceived effectiveness of their rotation.