Preceptors' and Physician Assistant Students' Views About the Value of Clinical Site Visits

PURPOSE: To determine preceptor and student views about the value of clinical site visits. METHODS: An online survey of preceptors and students was conducted after completion of 1-year clerkships, during which each student received 2 visits from program faculty. An 11-question Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree) survey was administered to preceptors and students. Analysis was by descriptive statistics (percentage, mean ± SD) and theme extraction. RESULTS: Response rate was 70% for preceptors and 77% for students. A majority of both groups agreed or strongly agreed that site visits met a need for clarifying the role of the clerkship, addressed expectations, and improved clinical experience; that visits were important, added value to education, and improved communication with the program. Visits increased preceptor self-reported confidence in faculty. Preceptor themes included "face-to-face validation," "personal touch," and "hands-on interaction." Student themes included "value of direct feedback from site visitor," "ability to improve skills between visits," and "connectedness to program." CONCLUSION: Preceptors and students agreed on the importance and value of site visits for improving communication, clinical skills, and quality of educational experience.