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A collaborative approach to a primary care preclinical preceptorship for underserved settings
1University of Washington Area Health Education Center program, Seattle.
Summary
Medical students gained valuable early exposure to primary care through a collaborative summer preceptorship program. Participants reported high satisfaction with this hands-on community medicine experience.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Primary Care Training
- Rural Health
Background:
- Collaborative initiatives are crucial for medical education.
- Early exposure to primary care settings is vital for medical students.
- Underserved rural and urban areas present unique training challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a collaborative summer preceptorship program.
- To introduce medical students to primary care in underserved settings.
- To evaluate student satisfaction with early clinical exposure.
Main Methods:
- A summer preceptorship program was established in 1988.
- Placements were offered in the Washington-Alaska-Montana-Idaho (WAMI) region.
- Medical students between their first and second years participated.
Main Results:
- 23 students participated in 1989, and 51 in 1990.
- 73 students completed a preliminary evaluation.
- Students expressed extreme satisfaction with firsthand exposure to community medicine.
Conclusions:
- Collaboration enhances medical education opportunities.
- The program successfully provided early exposure to primary care.
- Identifying educational partners is key for program sustainability.