TAFP launches revived family medicine preceptorship program

The ability for medical students to complete a family medicine preceptorship is an important recruitment tool to demonstrate the breadth and depth of family medicine and encourage those students drawn to whole-person and community care to pursue the specialty. That’s what family physician members on the TAFP Board of Directors recognized when they voted unanimously for the Academy to carry on the Texas Statewide Family Medicine Preceptorship Program after funding was zeroed out by the 82nd Texas Legislature.

The program matches medical students with an experienced and skilled family physician for a two- to four-week period to help them gain real-life experience in a community setting. By participating in a family medicine preceptorship, students have the unique opportunity to explore what being a family physician is really about and many have decided to pursue family medicine as a result of their participation.

Under TAFP’s direction, the program will be coordinated in the same manner as previous years, but without paying stipends to participants. Beginning in 2013, the TAFP Foundation will fund stipends for a limited number of pre-clinical medical students in the program. The Foundation is currently accepting donations for preceptorship funding.

Visit the newly re-launched Texas Statewide Family Medicine Preceptorship Program website at www.familymedicinepreceptorship.org for more information and to apply for a preceptorship, or to become a preceptor or update your profile. Or contact Juleah Williams, program coordinator, at (512) 329-8666 or jwilliams@tafp.org.