Preceptors
Preceptor of the Year
The Department of Physician Assistant Sciences is pleased to announce that it has awarded its Preceptor of the Year - 2006 award to Virginia T. Roth, PA-C. Ms. Roth was nominated to be preceptor of the year by Lamia Laloui, clinical year PA student (now graduate). Ms. Roth is a physician assistant who practices at Community Medical Associates, Harrisburg, PA.
To complement our didactic curriculum, we maintain quality clinical rotations to expose the student to the range of common problems encountered in primary care and specialty practice. The rotation sequence offers the student a variety of practical experiences and promotes the clinical integration of concepts learned in the classroom.
The clinical year constitutes a full-time off-campus experience which allows students to develop their patient management skills under the supervision of physicians, physicians assistants and other allied health personnel. The rotations, many of which are primary care oriented, are divided into nine 5-week blocks. Each student is required to take rotations in the following areas:
- Emergency Medicine
- Family Practice I
- Family Practice II or Primary Care
- Internal Medicine
- Obstetrics/Gynecology
- Pediatrics
- Behavioral Medicine
- Surgery
- Elective
It is recommended that all students complete at least one rotation in a medically underserved community or a designated health professional shortage area.
Clinical students have successfully completed the rigorous didactic year, carry malpractice insurance with $1,000,000/$3,000,000 coverage, and have received traditional health practitioner medical clearance.
During rotations, students work as members of the medical team, interacting with physicians, physician assistants, and other health professionals in all aspects of patient care. Students work in a variety of clinical sites (i.e.: private practice clinics or hospitals) and in a variety of settings such as rural family practices, inner-city clinics and major medical centers. To this point the majority of clinical sites have been in Pennsylvania and the surrounding states. Recently, however, the rotations have expanded to include distant sites in states such as Florida, California, and Montana.
As more students progress to the clinical year, we are in need of increasing the number of preceptors and rotation sites, both locally and nationwide. We need your help! If you are interested in receiving information in regards to precepting options for Saint Francis University PA Students, please complete this form.
Precepting PA students can be a very rewarding, stimulating, and educational experience for patients as well as preceptors and staff members. The experience also allows the preceptor to gain exposure to the practice abilities of PAs and their contribution to the delivery of quality health care. In addition, the opportunities for continuing medical education and appointment to adjunct faculty status exist as a result of this commitment.
The combination of intense course work, dedicated faculty, student diversity, and strong professional training allows Saint Francis University to graduate highly qualified and compassionate health practitioners. The clinical preceptors also become an integral part of the educational team. Please join us in providing quality educational experiences as well fostering the growth of the PA profession.
Clinical Coordinators
Jill Cavalet, PA-C
814-472-3112 or JCavalet@francis.edu
Melissa Hall, MPAS, PA-C
814-472-3132 or mhall@francis.edu
Tracy Wright, MPAS, PA-C
814-472-3139 or TWright@francis.edu