A primary care preceptorship for first-year medical students coordinated by an area health education center program: A six-year review

In 1991, the University of Florida College of Medicine established a requir ed primary care preceptorship coordinated by the Area Health Education Cent er (AHEC) Program for all students in the first semester of medical school. Six years' experience with this course, which is entirely community-based and taught by community physicians, provides evidence. of the success of th e preceptorship. Over the first six years, 97% of students and 92% of prece ptors felt strongly that this was an appropriate and valuable experience fo r students in the first semester of medical school. All believed that the s tudents were capable of interacting with patients in a meaningful fashion a nd that the course allowed students to gain confidence as hearth care provi ders. The course also reinforced the importance of the basic science curric ulum and initiated the process of professional development by affirming stu dents' decisions to pursue a career in medicine. The use of content analysi s to further evaluate attitudes and behaviors indicated that the students w ere highly satisfied with their experience and were active participants in the preceptors' practices. Students' approach to patients as people, rather than cases, was positive, and increased from the first to the last day of the preceptorship. After six years, this preceptorship has been demonstrate d to have a positive and meaningful impact on medical student education and development.