Characteristics of highly rated family practice preceptors

Student ratings of teaching, though controversial, demonstrate high reliability and acceptable validity. The study on which this article is based attempted to define the aspects of the family medicine preceptor and his practice which are significantly associated with the medical student's assessment of the preceptor's teaching ability. Questionnaires were sent to preceptors at the University of Western Ontario, and their responses were compared with student ratings by means of t-tests, correlation coefficients, and multiple regression. Higher teaching ability ratings were given to preceptors in group practice and nonurban practice and to those delegating more responsibility to students and using medication lists. Multiple-regression analyses using questionnaire data plus teaching ability subscores accounted for 88.1 percent of variance in student assessments of their clinical teachers. Suggestions for selection of preceptors are presented, together with proposals for further research into clinical teaching by family practice preceptors.