Are you a California family physician interested in:

• Making a lasting impression on the future generation of family physicians?
• Having a medical student in your office for four weeks?
• Demonstrating the wide spectrum of family medicine?
• Passing on the invaluable knowledge?
• Receiving up to 20 AAFP Prescribed credits?

Become a 2012 preceptor for a medical student - we need you!
Contact Cody Mitcheltree today or complete this survey to become involved.

In the last 15 years, more than 200 family physicians have had the chance to precept medical students and pass on valuable knowledge to future generations of family physicians.  CAFP Foundation (CAFP-F) is proud to continue offering our annual Summer Preceptorship program as an opportunity for family physicians to demonstrate all that family medicine has to offer.

Background
Since 1993, the CAFP-F has been funding medical students to explore family medicine and spend four weeks with a California family physician.  The CAFP-F offers each student a $1,200 scholarship for participating.  Each year, 40 students participate in an observation-only preceptorship program, which includes the opportunity to see patient interviewing, history taking, physical exams, and procedures. In addition, students learn more about patient-physician interactions, gain a basic knowledge of the scope and nature of family medicine and form a lasting relationship with their preceptor.  For additional information and tips on how to be an effective preceptor, please read this article entitled How to be an Efficient and Effective Preceptor.

Placement
Students are placed in a wide range of locations and practices - from inner city to rural locations, from HMOs to small group or private practices.  CAFP strives to build interest in serving rural and inner-city communities through this preceptorship program.

HIPAA
Key aspects of HIPAA compliance include:

• Establishing privacy policies;
• Training staff on these policies;
• Creating a Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) for patients; and
• Making a good faith effort to obtain written acknowledgement from patients that they received and read the NPP.

Since HIPAA went into effect in 2003, concerns have been voiced that the presence of trainees in exam rooms might constitute HIPAA privacy rule violations.  According to clarification obtained from CAFP legal counsel, the presence of preceptees in exam rooms can be considered part of standard health care operations under HIPAA and does NOT require that specific patient consent be documented.  Trainees, however, should be made aware of your privacy policies, and it is advisable to document this training, as you would document the training of all other providers and staff.

It is also recommended, though not required, that your NPP make reference to the "training of medical students and other health care professionals under preceptorship."