Volunteer Opportunities

Get involved by volunteering with the program. Opportunities include but are not limited to interviewing prospective students for admissions, serving as a guest lecturer, or connecting with recent graduates.


Mentorship and Preceptor Opportunities

The faculty from the program are highly engaged with students during the clinical year. Course directors monitor student performance, oversee assessment and evaluation, and conduct site visits during specific clinical clerkships. The clinical team consists of the Director of Clinical Education who provides administrative oversight for clinical affiliations and student assignments, along with a team of PA program faculty who provide mentoring, supervision, and academic evaluation. The role and responsibilities of clinical preceptors can be found here.

  • The preceptor serves a central role in the clinical education of PA students. He or she is responsible for monitoring student educational progress and for supervising student activities. Clinical preceptors for PA students can be licensed and certified PAs, MDs, DOs, NPs, and Nurse Midwives. Students look to the preceptor for answers to clinical questions and for direction in patient management problems. Upon collaborating with our program through a formal affiliation process, the primary preceptor will need to:
  • Review and be familiar with the clinical rotation objectives.
  • Provide the student with a physical location, adequate clinical space, and provide/arrange a variety of patient encounters necessary for an appropriate learning experience. Supervise the PA student. Supervision is defined as being physically present in the clinical environment for consultation if needed.
  • Provide an orientation to the rotation and review the clerkship objectives to assure that the student will have a broad clinical experience recognizing that not all diseases or disorders can be observed in one practice setting during a limited period.
  • Demonstrate, teach, and observe/supervise the PA student in clinical activities to develop the student’s knowledge and skills and to ensure proper patient care.
  • Ensure that the PA student does not practice beyond his/her competence or legal authority.
  • Fully assimilate students into the full schedule of clinic or hospital activities. If deemed appropriate, this should include different shifts including days, nights, overnights, and call.
  • We require a minimum of 35 hours of direct patient care in the clinical setting. PA students should not work more than 80 hours per week, no more than 12 hours per shift, and have a minimum of 8 hours between shifts. Call responsibilities should not be more often than once every third night and every other weekend.
  • Review and sign all student notes.
  • Actively participate in the evaluation of all aspects of the student’s clinical skills and knowledge base.
  • Offer timely constructive feedback to students and/or the Program regarding strengths and areas of needed improvement.

The success of Mississippi State Universit-Meridian Master of Physician Assistant (PA) Studies Program is due to dedicated clinical preceptors who provide rewarding clinical experiences to students.

The MSU MPAS PA program is looking seeking, please review the above description and submit this form. Thank you for your interest!

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact pa@meridian.msstate.edu

Please note that clinical precepting is a voluntary service.

If you are interested in becoming a clinical preceptor for the MSU PA program, please submit the below online form or contact pa@meridian.msstate.edu with any questions.