UMSV 206 Student Clinical Site Procurement Policy

Policy Name: Student Clinical Site Procurement Policy
ARC-PA Standard: A3.04

The University of Mount Saint Vincent PA Program does not require, permit, or expect prospective or enrolled students to provide, arrange, solicit, or secure supervised clinical practice experience (SCPE) sites or preceptors.

Responsibility for identifying, recruiting, evaluating, approving, maintaining, and assigning all SCPE sites and preceptors rests solely with the PA Program. This responsibility is carried out by the Director of Clinical Education, Clinical Coordinator, and Program Director.

Students may not contact clinical sites, clinical offices, hospitals, health systems, or individual preceptors for the purpose of requesting, arranging, negotiating, or confirming a clinical placement on behalf of the PA Program.

Students are prohibited from:

• Soliciting or arranging a clinical site or preceptor
• Contacting or attempting to contact a clinical site or preceptor already affiliated with or secured by the PA Program for the purpose of changing, revising, or influencing the student’s assigned clinical placement
• Contacting a site or preceptor to request placement
• Negotiating schedules, contracts, or affiliation agreements
• Representing themselves as acting on behalf of the PA Program in obtaining a clinical site or preceptor
• Using personal, family, or employment relationships to secure a clinical placement without prior approval of the PA Program

Student Identification of Potential Clinical Sites

Students may become aware of potential clinical sites or preceptors through employment, volunteer activities, family contacts, or other experiences. A student may submit the name and contact information of a potential site or preceptor to the Director of Clinical Education or Clinical Coordinator for consideration.

Submission of a potential site or preceptor by a student does not guarantee approval or assignment.

Any site or preceptor identified by a student must:

• Meet all program, institutional, and ARC-PA requirements
• Undergo the same review and approval process as all other SCPE sites and preceptors
• Be evaluated and approved only by the Director of Clinical Education, Clinical Coordinator, and/or Program Director
• Have an executed clinical affiliation agreement prior to student placement

Students may not participate in the evaluation, approval, contracting, or assignment process.

Procedure

1. Students who are aware of a potential clinical site or preceptor may submit the information in writing to the Director of Clinical Education or Clinical Coordinator.
2. The Director of Clinical Education or Clinical Coordinator will determine whether the site warrants further review.
3. If appropriate, only PA Program personnel will contact the site or preceptor.
4. The PA Program will complete all required vetting, credentialing, and affiliation agreement processes.
5. The PA Program will determine whether the site and preceptor are approved and whether a student will be assigned.

Reporting

If a student is asked by any individual, clinical site, or program representative to obtain, arrange, or solicit a clinical site or preceptor, the student must report the request immediately to the Program Director or Director of Clinical Education.