Precepting Medical Residents in the Office

Book excerpt: This work includes a foreword by James Stageman. 'This book has been produced to serve as a resource for community physicians who bring medical residents into their practices and train them in their offices. This book has been designed with the busy community physician in mind. Each chapter is intended to serve as a practical, concise, easily read, stand alone resource on the topic covered.' - Paul M. Paulman, Audrey A. Paulman, Jeff D. Harrison, Jeff Susman and Kate Finkelstein, in the Preface. 'A comprehensive handbook for precepting residents. Although modern technology can change the way in which students acquire knowledge and skills, there is no substitute for a true mentor. In medicine, perhaps more than in any other profession, our mentors have always enjoyed a special place in our hearts and minds. Although some professional athletes may contend that "I am not a role model", there is no doubt where you and I, as preceptors, stand on this issue. We are role models. We are mentors and upon us falls the responsibility to prepare tomorrow's physicians for careers in public service that we can only begin to comprehend.' - James Stageman, in the Foreword. Written by practicing and academic physicians with decades of experience, this book is the only complete guide written specifically for busy community physicians who teach medical residents in their office. Each chapter is short, concise, easily read and serves as a stand alone reference on the topic covered. Its contents include: identifying learning needs and creating the learning environment; setting goals and objectives, providing feedback and evaluating residents; involving your office staff in teaching and integrating practice management into the preceptorship; preparing the community and practice for the residents and collaborating with local hospitals; documenting supervision and addressing ACGME competencies; and dealing with regulatory bodies and addressing liability issues. This book is an invaluable guide for practicing physicians teaching medical residents in the workplace, particularly those in family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics, and a useful reference for residency program directors.