Teaching Opportunities

On this page:

• Overview
• 1st & 2nd Year Preceptorship (formerly GPP)
• Primary Care Clerkship (PCC)
• 4th Year Family Medicine Electives
• MEDiC Clinic Volunteer Attending Physician

Overview

The University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine’s Office of Medical Student Education provides a variety of teaching opportunities for the practicing Family Physician.

Options range from supervising students on site in outreach clinics for the underserved, to providing a longitudinal clinical experience in your own office. Time commitments are flexible and are designed to allow even the busiest clinician to become a valued member of the Department’s teaching team.

"Which students would you like to teach?"
4 ways to get involved - matched to your preferred level of student.

• 1st & 2nd Year Preceptor Program (formerly GPP)
Beginning students offer you an opportunity to shape their basic history taking and physical examination skills in a longitudinal program that allows for the development of a mentoring relationship.
• 3rd Year Primary Care Clerkship
Intermediate students offer you an opportunity to guide their development of clinical assessment and reasoning skills in a formalized required clerkship setting.
• 4th Year Family Medicine Electives
Advanced students offer you an opportunity to direct their independent clinical thinking and patient care management.
• MEDiC Clinic (all levels of medical students)
Teaching students at all levels in this venue allows you an opportunity to model service learning and professionalism while giving back to the community.

1st & 2nd Year Preceptorship (formerly GPP)

The UW School of Medicine and Public Health’s 1st & 2nd Year Preceptor Program partners 165-180 students with primary care physicians in clinics for one afternoon, six times per academic year. This physician-student partnership provides students with early and ongoing exposure to primary care.

1st & 2nd Year Preceptorship Teaching Goals
• Introduce students to primary care medicine with gradually increasing their role in practicing new skills.
• Through this longitudinal relationship, students become familiar with common problems, prevention issues, clinical epidemiology, physician decision-making, evidence based medicine, professionalism and cultural competency.
• Be an important role model for ‘practice in the real world.’

Your Time Commitment

• 3 half-days per semester, afternoons (4 hours each; 6 total)
• August—April
• Match with 1 or 2 students. A 2-year commitment with the same student is encouraged.

Primary Care Clerkship (PCC)

(Third Year Medical Students)

The required eight-week course provides an intensive introduction into ambulatory primary care. Students spend half of their clinical time with a Family Physician and half with either a General Internist or Pediatrician. One half-day per week students gather for small group learning activities. Time is also allocated for a community engagement project.

PCC Teaching Goals
• Preceptors teach advanced interviewing, communication, physical examination skills, diagnosis and management of primary care problems.
• Preceptors model coordination of care through use of community, hospital and consulting services.
• Students are expected to take an active role in interviewing, examining, diagnosing and clinical decision making.

Your Time Commitment

• 3 or 4 half-days/week throughout an 8-week rotation
(Your student will be on site 24 times. It is possible to divide this responsibility among several physicians in a practice.)
• Rotations year-round; choose your preferred time(s) of year.
• 6 rotations occur in one year; teach as many as you wish.

4th Year Electives

The Department of Family Medicine offers a variety of electives for 4th year students. Students spend four weeks working under the guidance of a Family Physician in clinical, community, or academic settings. Students may elect to use this time to explore in depth areas of faculty interest or expertise (examples: sports medicine, integrative medicine, addictive disorders).

Teaching Goals
• Allow senior medical students to gain advanced clinical experience and greater independence in patient management.
• Provide opportunity to explore Family Medicine as a career.
• Encourage students to develop their own professional identity and practice styles.

Your Time Commitment

• Four-week rotation, opportunities year-round, with highest demand July–October
• 8 or 9 half-day sessions/week (32-36 total); can include work with ancillary staff, colleagues, other care venues.
• Can include engagement in community outreach, quality improvement or research projects.

MEDiC Clinic Volunteer Attending Physician

(All Levels of Medical Students)


This is a great opportunity to serve the community while also mentoring students in a rewarding service-learning setting.
Involvement includes direct supervision of student-provided care. This student-run organization provides acute care, referral services and education to uninsured or homeless individuals/family at six Madison area clinics.

Physician volunteers are needed at:
• Grace Church clinic (homeless men)
• Salvation Army clinic (homeless women and children)
• South Side clinic (uninsured of all ages and many Spanish-speaking patients)

Your Time Commitment

• Clinic sessions occur on Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings, lasting about 3.5 hours.
• Flexible commitment, can vary according to your schedule.
Register online: Please help to continue the legacy of our profession and specialty by volunteering today.