Experiences
Six-Week Interprofessional Preceptorship
The Six-Week Interprofessional Preceptorship is a rural immersion program for health professions students. Offered in collaboration with the IL AHEC Network, it is a six-week, paid, full-time shadowing opportunity set in a rural Illinois community.
This program provides an opportunity for highly motivated students to learn in a real-world setting that promotes health professionals from different disciplines working together and supports learning through active and organized participation in the community.
What to expect as a preceptorship student:
- Complete over 15 days of shadowing in over 10 different hospital departments and/or community clinics in a rural community
- Collaborate with other preceptorship students to complete a Community Service Learning (CSL) Project focused on a real-life community health priority
- Become acquainted with rural lifestyle
- Have a better understanding of rural healthcare needs and interventions
- Acquire increased awareness, knowledge, and appreciation for a variety of health professions disciplines
Program objectives for preceptorship students:
- Learn about the social and health characteristics, needs, and resources of a specific rural community
- Understand the roles and responsibilities of different healthcare providers in a rural community
- Reflect on a future career as a healthcare provider in a rural community
- Develop a potential interest in these locations as a future career location
The experience:
Preceptorship students are exposed to all aspects of a rural community. Students will receive a $1,500 stipend and, in addition, housing and limited meals are provided by the host sites. Time is available during the week and on weekends for students to explore the community.
SIX-WEEK INTERPROFESSIONAL PRECEPTORSHIP FAQs
Will the preceptorship be available in 2025?
Yes! The preceptorship is being offered in two Illinois locations in 2025:
- The East Central IL AHEC located at Gibson Area Hospital and Health Services in Gibson City, IL.
- The Northwest IL AHEC located at OSF Saint Katharine Medical Center in Dixon, IL.
When does the summer preceptorship take place?
Dixon: The summer preceptorship experience through the Northwest IL AHEC at OSF St. Katharine Medical Center in Dixon, IL will take place from May 19 – June 26, 2025.
Gibson City: The summer preceptorship experience through the East Central IL AHEC at Gibson Area Hospital & Health Services (GAHHS) in Gibson City, IL will take place from May 27 – July 3, 2025.
Where will the preceptorship take place?
Students will shadow health professionals at the main hospital as well as healthcare providers’ offices in the hospital service area. Students may be expected to travel to outlying clinics or health department sites, so personal transportation is required.
To receive an interprofessional experience that helps students understand multiple levels of care, students will shadow healthcare providers within their field as well as those in other healthcare disciplines.
Is this a paid preceptorship?
Yes. The stipend for this preceptorship is $1,500. Half of this stipend ($750) is disbursed to students at week 3, and the rest ($750) at week 6 (preceptorship end).
Can I work or take a class during the preceptorship?
Preceptorship students are completing 40 hours of work during each week of the preceptorship. Due to the intensive nature of the preceptorship, it is strongly recommended that students not work or take classes during the six weeks.
What If I have to miss a day or week of the preceptorship?
In order to gain the most experience from the program, it is required for all accepted students to be able to participate from the first day of the program listed to the last day posted.
As the first week of the program includes an orientation and windshield survey of the local community, accepted students must be available in-person to complete all required orientation activities. If the first week of the program coincides with your college/university’s finals week, please check to see if you can reschedule your final exams. If you cannot, it is recommended you consider the other site where the start does not conflict with your finals week.
If there is one or two days where you will not be able to attend the program in person, please let the host site staff know as soon as possible so that other arrangements can be made.
What will my days be like during the preceptorship?
The majority of each week is spent individually shadowing a variety of health professionals in the hospital and/or surrounding community. These shadowing experiences include those of the students’ disciplines and those that are not. This provides an opportunity to witness how interprofessional teams work together in a rural facility as well as how healthcare is delivered at multiple levels.
This preceptorship is a rural immersion experience – students are expected to reside in the community for 6 weeks. Full participation is required, except in emergency or illness situations. Any exceptions or special circumstances must be requested during the application process. The majority of weekends will be free, although we request students stay in the community to get the most benefit from the experience. No experiences will be scheduled on Memorial Day or the 4th of July holiday.
A typical week day will begin at 8:00 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m., although some adjustments may be made (for example, students shadowing a procedure in surgery may need to start earlier in the morning).
Students will meet as a group for weekly classroom sessions. These sessions are led by a Faculty Preceptor, who will guide discussions on rural healthcare practice and theory. Students will be responsible for reading assignments as well as journal reflections related to their shadowing experiences. Additional time each week is focused on work for the Community Service Learning (CSL) project.
Where will I be staying?
Housing will be provided to students if it is available.
Students who live near each of the locations within commuting distance are encouraged to apply. If students live within commuting distance of the hospital, housing will not be provided.
Where will I get my meals?
Meals will be provided by the host site, often through on-site dining services. Due to specific dining schedules and options, students are encouraged to budget for some additional food costs to ensure all preferences are met. Participants will receive detailed information on meals for their site in advance of the program.
What should I wear?
Dress for your experience depends on the work environment. Plan to wear business casual attire unless notified otherwise. Scrubs may be available for certain rotations, so students who have these are welcome to bring them.
Examples of business casual attire include khakis and dress pants, button-up and/or collared shirts, knee-length skirts and dresses, and clean closed-toe shoes. No jeans, shorts, open-toed shoes, short dresses/skirts, tank tops, or t-shirts. Body tattoos must be covered and jewelry worn at a minimum.
Are there immunization requirements?
Depending upon the hospital location, proof of immunizations may be required. This proof may require vaccination against COVID-19 along with influenza and other vaccines.
Once accepted to the program, a listing of the required immunizations will be emailed to you.
If you have questions about the immunization requirements during the application process, please email Beth Squires at esquires@uic.edu.
What will our Community Service Learning (CSL) Project be? Do we choose our own project?
The CSL project will vary by year and site. If a community organization reaches out to the program seeking to partner, a CSL project outline may be established in advance of the students’ arrival. However, students may be tasked with planning their own project in full.
Examples of past CSL projects include health fairs, educational outreach and material development, assisting with community health needs assessment processes, and implementing park infrastructure.
Who can I contact with questions and assistance for the preceptorship?
Please contact Beth Squires, Assistant Director for External & Pipeline Projects, for inquiries. Beth can be reached at esquires@uic.edu.
During the program, participants will have a local site contact who can answer questions related to the community, housing, and the hospital system.
Applications for the 2025 Six-Week Interprofessional Preceptorship will be available on Monday, January 6, 2025.
This work is conducted by the Illinois Area Health Education Centers Network Program, funded by grant No. U77HP26847 from the Health Resources and Services Administration and administered by the National Center for Rural Health Professions at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine Rockford.
Eligibility Requirements
- Students of all health disciplines are encouraged to apply.
- Students must be currently enrolled in a health professions program.
- Students must have completed sophomore year of undergraduate studies by the start of the program.
- Students must be an Illinois resident.
- Preference goes to students from rural Illinois communities with interest in serving a rural community in the future.
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