LOUISIANA BOARD OF VETERINARY MEDICINE
PRECEPTOR'S INFORMATION SHEET

The Louisiana Board of Veterinary Medicine is pleased that you are participating in the Preceptorship Program. The Board considers this program to be a vital element in the licensing process.

Please make note of the following elements of the program. These items are among the most frequently asked questions about the program. If you have other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the Board office or a member of the Committee for further clarification.

1. Financial arrangements. The Board does not have a policy in this area. Preceptors may offer financial compensation or not. This should be negotiated with your preceptee in advance and may be indicated on the agreement form if you wish.

2. Direct supervision means that a licensed veterinarian is on the premises with the preceptee. Under direct supervision, a preceptee may perform certain activities which an unlicensed person cannot do under any circumstances. This approval is only valid during the period of the preceptorship

3. Limitations of practice. Preceptees may legally perform the following activities under direct supervision during their preceptorship:

surgery diagnosisprognosis prescribing of drugs, medicine, and appliances for domestic animals inoculate animals and issue certificates of inoculation

Preceptees may not make off-site calls, work alone or otherwise "cover" a practice unless direct supervision is provided.

4. Changes in Supervision During Preceptorship. If the supervising preceptor cannot be present for a portion of the preceptorship period, only those persons whose names were submitted for review on the Practice Assessment Questionnaire may supervise the preceptee. If this is not possible, the supervising preceptor should contact the Board office for further information. Time spent with a relief veterinarian may not be able to be counted on the preceptee's attendance log.

5. Liability Insurance. The Board strongly recommends that liability insurance be purchased to cover the practice and the preceptee during the preceptorship. Contact the AVMA or your own insurance carrier. An inexpensive rider may be available on the student's liability insurance. Neither the Louisiana Board of Veterinary Medicine nor the applicant's school of veterinary medicine carries insurance for this purpose.

6. Week of Training. All preceptorships must consist of not less than eight (8) calendar weeks in training -- a minimum of 320 hours over 8 full weeks -- spent in a board-approved, private clinical practice. A week in training consists of a minimum of 40 hours earned during a maximum of six (6) calendar days. A calendar day shall not exceed nine (9) hours in duration. The board office will only count a maximum of 6 calendar days in a week and only nine hours per calendar day.

We hope that you find the preceptorship program to be a useful and valuable experience for both you and the preceptee. Any comments you have about the program may be made on the Evaluation Form you will fill out at the end of your preceptorship. Thank you again for your participation.

PRECEPTORSHIP PROGRAM INSTRUCTIONS

Please read carefully and contact the board office if you need additional information or forms.

GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Preceptees should contact the Board office to confirm that the practice selected is a pre-approved facility. If not, preceptees may request that a “Practice Assessment Questionnaire” be sent to the practice for completion.

2. All forms mentioned below are required elements of the program. Incomplete submissions cannot be approved. No license numbers can be issued until the preceptorship has been completed, reviewed, and approved.

3. Approval of preceptorships is not automatic. Deficiencies in the program or in the evaluation of the preceptee may cause a delay in the licensing process. Normal processing time for complete submissions is two to four weeks.

4. All preceptorships must consist of not less than eight (8) calendar weeks in training -- a minimum of 320 hours over 8 full weeks -- spent in a board-approved, private clinical practice. A week in training consists of a minimum of 40 hours earned during a maximum of six (6) calendar days. A calendar day shall not exceed nine (9) hours in duration. The board office will only count a maximum of 6 calendar days in a week and only nine hours per calendar day.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR PRECEPTORSHIP

1. The practice selected must be pre-approved BEFORE the preceptorship begins. Preceptees can contact the Board office to confirm a chosen practice as pre-approved or to request a list of pre-approved practices in a specific area. If the practice chosen is not a pre-approved facility, the preceptee may request that a “Practice Assessment Questionnaire” be sent to the practice for completion. The completed questionnaire must be submitted to the Board office. Allow at least two weeks for approval. Limited approval for a specialty facility, such as but not limited to, referral clinics, research facilities, and humane societies, may take longer as the request must go before the full Board at its bi-monthly meeting.

2. When an approved practice has been selected, the preceptee and the practice must jointly submit an “Agreement Form.” This agreement form should be submitted to the Board office at least two weeks in advance of the preceptorship starting date. Approval of a facility’s “Practice Assessment Questionnaire” is not approval to start your preceptorship.

3. Preceptees will receive an acknowledgment sheet with a copy of the approved job description on file for the practice chosen. After the job description has been reviewed by the preceptee, the preceptee should sign and return the acknowledgment sheet to the Board office.

DURING THE PRECEPTORSHIP

1. An “Attendance Log” must be kept. Preceptees must keep a record of the days and number of hours worked. Preceptees must work no less than eight full weeks -- a minimum of 320 hours over 8 weeks. A week in training consists of no more than 40 hours earned during no more than six days within a calendar week.

2. The attendance log must be signed by both the supervising veterinarian and the preceptee before being submitted to the Board office upon completion of the preceptorship.

UPON COMPLETION OF PRECEPTORSHIP

1. Preceptees must complete and submit a “Practice Evaluation” form.

2. The supervising veterinarian preceptor must complete and submit a "Preceptor's Evaluation of Preceptee Participation" form.