Office preceptorship

In the brief time available to take a history, the aim is to obtain, in addition to essential facts, insight into the human being. This seems easy, but listening is the most complex and difficult of all the tools in a doctor's repertory. Listening is not passive. One must be an active listener to hear an unspoken problem.

-Bernard Lown

Most weeks, your Primary Care activity will consist of seeing patients with your preceptor, in his/her office. Each of you is assigned to an individual family physician. With rare exceptions, you will be partnered with the same preceptor all year.

Your afternoon with your preceptor will start at around 1300 hr and last until the work is done (usually between 1700-1900 hr).

As the year progresses, you and your preceptor may modify these start and end times to match your preceptor's office hours.

Over the course of the year, you will experience a progression of your activities and level of responsibility. There may be a brief period of ``standing and watching'' at the beginning of the year, but you should soon find yourself interviewing and examining patients independently, and then presenting your findings to your preceptor. Your preceptor, of course, will see every patient at every visit.