Primary Care Practicum

Student Information

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

Workplace Based Assessments (WBA)

PCP students are evaluated each term based on Workplace Based Assessments (WBAs). Students will ask their preceptor for feedback using a WBA. These will be used to assess their clinical skills in the Patient Care Phase. WBAs are a chance to practice requesting & receiving feedback to identify next steps for their growth.

Students will be expected to identify something that they are working on and want feedback on to their preceptors (ex. history, physical exam, clinical reasoning, OCP, etc.). Students will enter the feedback they receive on the WBA form into the PCP Tracker.

SOAP Notes and Other Assignments

To prepare for outpatient clerkship(s), students will write three (2) 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).

The current dates for this PCP year can be found here.

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