Summer Clinicals Are Coming. Are You Ready?

If your program includes summer clinical rotations, this is your warning. Summer slots fill faster than fall or spring. The window to secure a good preceptor is smaller than you think, and it's closing.

Why Summer Is Different

Summer rotations are compressed. Many programs that run summer clinicals pack the same number of hours into fewer weeks. That means preceptors need to commit to more days per week, which narrows the pool of people who can say yes. Add in vacation schedules, reduced office hours at many practices, and the fact that other health professions are also running summer rotations, and you've got a much tighter market.

Students who wait until May to start looking for a summer preceptor often find themselves scrambling. The preceptors who are willing and available tend to get locked down early, sometimes months in advance. If you haven't started yet, today is the day.

What "Starting Early" Actually Means

Starting early doesn't mean thinking about it. It means taking action. That means signing up on Preceptor.Network as a student, entering your program details, and requesting a match. It means reaching out to your clinical coordinator to ask about any school-partnered sites that have summer availability. It means contacting preceptors you've worked with before, or classmates who might have leads.

The worst thing you can do is assume someone else is handling this. If your program is anything like most, finding a preceptor is your responsibility. That's frustrating, but it's reality.

Don't Forget the Paperwork

Even after you find a preceptor, there's often an approval process. Your school may need to verify their credentials. There might be an affiliation agreement that needs to be signed between your school and the clinical site. Background checks, compliance documents, onboarding packets. All of this takes time, and summer timelines are tight.

Build in at least three to four weeks between finding a preceptor and your start date. If anything in the approval chain gets delayed, you'll be glad you gave yourself the buffer.

A $10 Match Beats a Lost Summer

We keep the cost low on purpose. A $10 match on Preceptor.Network gets you connected with a preceptor who meets your program's specific requirements. That's less than most students spend on coffee in a week, and it could be the difference between finishing on time and losing an entire semester.

Summer clinicals are coming. The best preceptors are already getting booked. Don't wait.