Generalist Initiative

Generalist Curriculum Preceptorship Program

The Generalist Curriculum Preceptorship Program is a longitudinal, continuity experience in clinical ambulatory primary care. The objective of the program is to provide patient care experience in the pre-clinical years which emphasizes the practices and skills of generalist physicians.

The Generalist Curriculum Preceptorship Program was started in 1994 as a pilot program; during that year, twenty volunteer first year medical students were paired with family physicians for a clinical experience in private practice, ambulatory care settings. In 1995, the program was expanded to provide this opportunity to forty volunteer first year students and included practicing general internists, general pediatricians, as well as family physicians. The pre-clinical curriculum at Rush was adapted to provide this experience to all entering first year students in 1996.

The program is designed to utilize the preceptorship experience to introduce students to primary care practices in the ambulatory setting early in medical school training. Students spend one-half day per month in the clinical setting with a preceptor-mentor, for a two-year longitudinal, continuity of care experience. By working with the same preceptors strong mentoring relationships will develop. By following the same population of patients, students see the full spectrum of effects of an illness and the benefits of preventive care. All physicians and faculty participating in the Generalist Curriculum Preceptorship Program do so on a volunteer basis.

Generalist physicians are doctors that provide preventive, maintenance, acute and chronic health care to a broad population of patients. These primary care doctors are usually Family Physicians, General Internists, of General Pediatricians. Most doctors who practice in these specialties primarily see patients in out patient offices (ambulatory settings.) An important aspect of this curricular change is the movement of students to these sites. We believe this will enhance a students recognition and understanding of the key components of these specialties.