Primary Care Practicum

Student Information

First year medical students completing their PCP can refer to this page for more information on assignments, attendance, evaluations, among other information.

Tracker Entries

Students are expected to log a tracker entry for PCP sessions they attend. The tracker is located on the Foundations of Clinical Medicine (FCM) Canvas page for each site. You can also navigate to the tracker by clicking here. Per the attendance policy, students must submit an entry for that week’s session no later than 72 hours after the end of the session.

Students should have the opportunity to perform at least one part of a patient’s history and one part of the exam independently during each half day session. Your PCP may observe you, or you may be outside the room. The goal is for you to practice the skills needed for a focused visit. Students should also look for opportunities to observe or practice the skills learned in FCM workshops during the terms.

SOAP Notes and Other Assignments

To prepare for outpatient clerkship(s), students will write three (3) SOAP notes on patients they see in PCP, in addition to feedback on those notes from their PCP faculty.

Historically, when SOAP notes were written in a paper chart, each session was clearly labelled and easy to see. The notes you see in the EHR may not look like the SOAP notes of old, but physicians still document the same information. Additional data, like the problem list or medication list, is automatically added to every note, and SOAP elements may appear in a different order in the EHR. However, the key elements of SOAP are still there.

Students will also be expected to complete a case-based clinical presentation, a patient shadowing assignment, and a reflection on a memorable patient. For the case-based clinical presentation, each student will look up a clinical question that arises in PCP and will present the findings to their faculty; this assignment is not mean to be long and formal, but rather short and to-the-point.

Attendance Policy

All PCP sessions are required. In order to document PCP participation, students should log the session in the PCP tracker, linked here, within 72 hours of completion.

Students are expected to inform their preceptor about any absences, just as preceptors should let their student(s) know if they plan to be out of the clinic on a scheduled PCP day (i.e., planned vacation), in advance. If this should be the case, preceptors can also choose to arrange an alternative – but equal – experience with another physician in their practice.

Make up options include:

  • Arranging an alternative activity for that day, such as working with another physician in the clinic
  •  Scheduling a make-up on another day that is mutually convenient for student and preceptor and does not conflict with scheduled class time.
  • As a last resort for an unplanned absence, students can complete a Symptom to Diagnosis chapter (recommended chapters below) and track them on the PCP tracker
    • Part 7: Low Back Pain
    • Part 12: Diabetes
    • Part 29: Rash
    • Part 30: Sore Throat

While a full day is blocked on the suggested dates, if you do not work those dates, you can arrange an alternate schedule. Students and preceptors should exchange contact information that is good for last minute updates. All PCP sessions are required, and any missed session must be made up on a day that works best for both the student(s) and the preceptor(s).

Suggested dates for the second term of 2024 PCP are: 9/18 (option for Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helen’s students), 9/25, 10/2 (option for Mt. Rainier & Mt. Baker students), 10/9, 10/23, 11/20, 11/27, and 12/11 (Make-up)

Please contact us at pcprac@uw.edu with any questions related to attendance.

Evaluations

Students will be evaluated each term based on milestones. The milestones for each term describe specific behaviors that a student should be able to demonstrate at that point in time based on their FCM curriculum and time in the PCP.

Additionally, students will have the opportunity to evaluate their PCP faculty; this is a time to provide feedback about your faculty, what their strengths are, and where you think they could improve.

Evaluations are completed through the E*value clinical scheduling and evaluation system. In order to evaluate faculty, students will receive an email from the E*value site and be prompted to complete the “Who Did You Work With” form. After this form is completed, the website will then notify faculty that a student evaluation is available for completion.

You can find a student user guide for E*value here.

If students are uncomfortable leaving feedback for their faculty, or are concerned about their feedback being shared with their faculty, please contact the PCP Team as soon as possible.

You can find an example of the PCP evaluation of faculty by student here.