Fast Facts
Precepting Physician Assistant (PA) Students
Interested in becoming a preceptor for the ECPI University PA program?
Complete the information below and a representative from the program will contact you soon.
If you are interested in becoming a partner with ECPI University and precepting the next generation of PAs, contact us at: 877-959-1142
What kind of experience is needed for a PA student in their clinical year?
Clinical rotations are 4 weeks in duration in the following areas:
- Family medicine and Internal medicine
- Surgery
- Women’s health
- Emergency medicine
- Pediatrics
- Behavioral medicine
Students are also required to have experience during the clinical year in the following settings/patient demographics:
- Inpatient/Outpatient/Emergency room/Operating room
- Care across the lifespan: from pre-natal to the elderly
- Preventive, emergent, acute, and chronic patient care encounters

What do the students need to do during the rotation?
- Actively practice taking a history and performing a physical examination.
- Shadowing is discouraged, active learning with supervision is best.
- Giving an oral presentation including a detailed patient management plan to the preceptor
- Practice documentation in an electronic health record (as allowed by the facility).
- Practice common clinical skills such as suturing, incision and drainage, etc.
- Assist with pre-operative, intra-operative and post-operative management of patients.
- Participate in rounding on patients in a hospital.
- Calling patients with laboratory results and giving patient education.
- Observe ancillary staff in their office functions such as referrals, x-ray, lab, coding & billing, etc.
- Develop and sharpen clinical problem-solving skills.
Do I qualify to be a PA student preceptor?
We require that our students rotate with either NCCPA certified physician assistants, physicians who are board certified, or other licensed healthcare providers qualified in their area of instruction.