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Texas Statewide Preceptorship Programs
 

General Internal Medicine Statewide Preceptorship Program

The General Internal Medicine Statewide Preceptorship Program (GIMSPP) is a mentorship program offered by the Texas Academy of Internal Medicine and the Texas chapter of the ACP. The Preceptorship Program gives medical students an opportunity to spend time with an internist practicing in a community based hospital or clinic. Students observe the daily routine of the internist, experiencing the variety that the practice of internal medicine provides. GIMSPP is funded by a grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

For more information, visit www.taim.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=262.

Texas Statewide Family Practice Preceptorship Program

Drawing from the experiences of preceptorship programs at the University of Texas-Galveston and the University of Texas-Houston, the Texas Statewide Family Practice Preceptorship Program (TSFPPP) was born through an unprecedented cooperative effort between all of Texas' eight medical schools, the Texas Academy of family physicians, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. In 1980, under the visionary guidance of the program's first director, Jack Haley, M.D., the first students in the TSFPPP were matched with preceptors from communities around the state.

Since that time, 4,771 clinical students and 3,520 pre-clinical students have worked in the offices of Texas family physicians under the guidance of the TSFPPP. Almost 810 physicians from 228 communities have generously volunteered to give one to ten months each year to train our state's future physicians.

Many Students cite their participation in the TSFPPP as a pivotal experience. The continued success of the program, and the increase in students choosing family medicine as a career attest to the effectiveness of the TSFPPP.

For more information, visit www.familymedicinepreceptorship.org.

Texas Pediatric Society Preceptorship Program

The General Pediatric Preceptorship Program is an opportunity to experience a pediatrician’s community practice away from the medical school setting and introduces you to

  • the wide range of clinical problems seen by pediatricians in outpatient and inpatient settings;
  • the challenges and rewards of maintaining a pediatric practice;
  • the relationship of the pediatrician to other health care providers; and
  • the role of the pediatrician in his/her community.

    216 general pediatricians from around the state serve as preceptors. Preclinical students may do the preceptorship in the Summer between the first and second year of medical school. Clinical students may take this elective during their third or fourth year of training. Preceptorships are four consecutive weeks in length. You may choose a program in or near your home town, or an area you might like to settle. The preceptorship program office in Austin will work with you to find a location that is most suited to your interests and schedule.

    Only preclinical students receive a stipend to cover travel and or living expenses during the preceptorship. The program will pay preclinicals $500 if the practice is in an urban area and $ 750 if the practice is in a rural/ underserved or health profession shortage area. The clinicals will not receive a stipend. The program office can assist in finding no or low cost housing. Our relationship with you doesn’t end with the preceptorship. We want to nurture your interest in pediatrics. Membership in the Texas Pediatric Society Medical Student Section is automatic following completion of the preceptorship and continues through the remaining years of medical school. As a medical student member you will receive mailings, have an opportunity to attend meetings and educational programs, and serve on committees of the TPS.

    Benefits of a Pediatric Preceptorship:

  • Gain valuable experience in a “real-life” setting of a pediatrician’s office
  • Develop an interest in and an excitement for pediatrics
  • Develop life-long friendships with a physician mentor and/or other students
  • Give yourself an edge in the increasing competition for residency slots

    • If you’re considering a career in pediatrics, this experience can help you decide. Likewise, if you’re still not sure, this experience can be the deciding factor.

    Since the inception of the Program in 1996 a total of 1266 students have successfully completed pediatric preceptorship through the statewide program. This number includes 980 pre-clinical students who completed their program in the summer between their first and second years and 286 students in their third and fourth year of training.

    In 2004, a total of 124 students completed Pediatric Preceptorships. This number includes 100 preclinical and 24 clinical students. The number of participants by school was- A& M -13; Baylor-7; Tech-16; UNTHSC-6; UTMB-15; UTHSCSA-21; UTHO-36; UTSW- 10.

    The information on residency matches for 2004 indicate that approximately 30% of preceptor students entered residencies in pediatrics.

    For more information, visit www.txpeds.org or contact Annapurna Yellamraju at 512-370-1519 or send email.