Becoming a Clinical Preceptor

In addition to the intrinsic rewards that come with medical student precepting, members of VCOM clinical faculty receive numerous additional benefits.  All VCOM clinical faculty receive an academic appointment with the College at an academic rank commensurate with experience, access to the VCOM electronic library which enables them to access a wide range of medical textbooks and thousands of online journals from home, office or anywhere with an internet connection, and a monetary stipend for precepting VCOM students on required clinical rotations (paid to you directly or through the medical education department of your hospital). VCOM Chairs will provide individual faculty development on campus, on line, and in your site each year that you may take advantage of. CME opportunities exist each fall on the VCOM campus and you will receive CME credit for precepting students as well.

VCOM Preceptors for core rotations are appointed as Clinical Track Faculty.  Clinical track faculty status may be granted to faculty who hold academic rank, as determined by the Appointment, Promotions and Tenure Committee, and are contracted to further VCOM’s academic mission through teaching limited to the clinical setting and with less than ten hours of didactic teaching time dedicated to VCOM’s education program. All clinical track faculty are considered part-time as the majority of their clinical practice teaching is in a setting that is not operated by VCOM or the academic health center.

Physicians/professionals who are seeking appointment in the clinical faculty, or Veterans Administration and military or OMNEE categories, may be issued a temporary faculty appointment by the appropriate Associate Dean for Clinical Affair for up to six months while they complete the application process. However, prior to being given this temporary status, an affiliation agreement must have been signed with the institution in which the physician/professional practices, or with the individual physician, and a valid license must be confirmed. This temporary status allows the applicant to precept students while awaiting the completion of the appointment process.

Appointed clinical faculty must complete a reappointment process every 5 years. During the reappointment process preceptors must provide a current CV, updated board certification if applicable and their license will be verified through the appropriate state licensing body.

Those interested in clinical faculty appointment must be referred to VCOM through either the VCOM’s appropriate Associate Dean, Vice Dean, Clinical Chair or Director of Student Medical Education / Director of Medical Education. The regional site coordinator will assist applicants in this process.

Interested physicians are required to submit the following documents:

1. Clinical Faculty Application Cover (PDF)
2. Current Curriculum Vitae (CV)
3. Copy of Board Certification
4. Copy of Residency Completion Certificate
5. Copy of Medical School Diploma
6. State License (Optional: VCOM can verify state licensure online, thus a copy of State License is not required)

To expedite the process, please submit all documents together; incomplete submissions cannot be processed.

Faculty are encouraged to contact their regional site coordinator to submit all documentation on their behalf. If unsure who your site coordinator contact is, you may contact the appropriate Administrative Assistant listed above for assistance.

Upon receipt of the above items, a Letter of Recommendation (LOR) will be obtained from a VCOM Department Chair or Director of Student Medical Education (DSME) to complete the appointment application.

Once a complete application is received by VCOM, materials will be presented to the Appointment, Promotion and Tenure Committee (APT) for review. If appointment is granted by the APT Committee, the applicant will receive a standard preceptor contract and appointment letter detailing the actions of the Committee.  At this time they will also be able to obtain library access privileges.