Reaching and teaching preceptors: limited success from a multifaceted faculty development program

We conducted a six-pronged preceptor faculty development program that included a listserve and interactive Web-based teaching scenarios. A total of 144 preceptors in a required preceptorship program were offered traditional continuing medical education (CME), a preceptor listserve, an electronic clinical teaching discussion group, an orientation videotape, a CD-ROM on teaching skills, and technology support. On Web-based evaluation, 31% of participants responded. Eighty percent of preceptors allowed us to subscribe them to the listserve, and most agreed it was useful. One third of preceptors responded to an electronic clinical teaching case discussion, most rating it useful to their precepting. The listserve and electronic teaching cases hold promise for preceptor faculty development.