PA Clerkship Specific Policies
After successfully completing the didactic phase of PA training, students will transition to the clinical year. This time is known as the Supervised Clinical Practical Experience (SCPE).Rotation Length and Disciplines:
Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences (SCPEs) consist of eight clinical clerkships, each lasting approximately six weeks. Rotations cover core areas of medicine, including Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, Surgery, Emergency Medicine, Prenatal Care & Gynecology, and one selective clerkship. Students are expected to take an active role in their education by mastering the knowledge objectives outlined in each clerkship syllabus.Didactic Lectures, Rounds, and Academic Opportunities:
Students must attend all scheduled learning activities during their rotations. In many clinical settings, this includes didactic lectures open to all medical learners, participation in daily rounds, Grand Rounds, and other conferences.General Duties and Expectations:
Before entering supervised clinical experiences, PA students receive training in essential clinical skills and procedures. Clerkship courses provide opportunities to refine primary care skills and develop professional competencies.The primary objectives of clinical rotations are to gain hands-on experience, enhance clinical skills, and understand the collaborative roles within the healthcare team. Additionally, these experiences reinforce the dependent role of the PA and the Physician-PA team dynamic. Professional Liability Insurance:
All clinical sites and facilities require students to have professional liability insurance. The School of Health Professions (SHP) provides this coverage, as outlined in the affiliation agreements between TTUHSC and clinical sites. Any questions regarding liability insurance should be directed to the Clerkship Coordinator.Students are covered by this insurance only while participating in PA Program-approved clinical settings, laboratories, or classrooms. Coverage is limited to activities that are part of the required curriculum, with policy limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $3,000,000 in total. Clinical Regions and Rotation Locations:
During the Spring semester of the didactic year, faculty will assign students to a clinical region at their discretion. The TTUHSC PA program has designated clinical regions based around TTUHSC campuses in Lubbock, Permian Basin, and Amarillo.While students are assigned a primary region, clerkship sites may be located outside of this area. Students may be required to rotate between regions or beyond TTUHSC-affiliated sites based on preceptor availability or unforeseen circumstances. Students are responsible for all travel and living expenses during the clinical year. Assignment Process:
The assignment process is coordinated by the Director of Clinical Education and approved by the Clinical Faculty Team. The number of students per region is determined annually based on the availability and capacity of clinical sites. Each spring, students will receive detailed information about the assignment process to help them prepare for their clinical year. While clerkship region assignments are final, faculty are committed to supporting students throughout this transition.Clinical Site Scheduling:
Solicitation and scheduling of sites/preceptors:
All clinical sites are selected and assigned by the PA program’s Clinical Team. Faculty review, evaluate, and approve all preceptorships to ensure they meet program standards. Clinical clerkship schedules are managed through the clinical rotation software system, and students may submit preferences for consideration.Student-Initiated Solicitation:
Students are strictly prohibited from directly soliciting sites, contacting providers, or arranging their own clinical experiences. However, they may suggest potential sites or preceptors to the Clerkship Coordinator. All communication regarding site scheduling and affiliation agreements will be handled exclusively by program faculty and staff.Clinical Rotation Changes and Student Flexibility
Occasionally, a preceptor may become unavailable on short notice, requiring adjustments to a student’s clinical rotation. This may result in reassignment to a different preceptor, relocation to another clinical site, or temporary limitations on activities while affiliation agreements are finalized.Students must remain flexible in these situations and have two options:- Accept the reassigned rotation – The Clinical Team will make every effort to secure an alternative site/preceptor. Students may not arrange their own rotations.
- Decline the reassigned rotation – Students may suggest alternative sites/preceptors to the Clinical Team. However, if a suitable replacement cannot be arranged, the student may be required to extend their program, potentially delaying graduation.
Student Requirements for Clinical Sites:
Preceptor/Site Communication:
Students must contact their assigned clinical preceptor at least four (4) weeks before the start of each supervised clinical experience.Onboarding and Orientation:
In addition to preceptor contact, students must reach out to any training facility where their rotation will take place and complete all required onboarding procedures before arrival. This may include background checks, health screenings, drug testing, or other site-specific requirements. The Clinical Team is available to address any questions regarding these policies.Failure to contact preceptors/clinical sites, complete onboarding, or fulfill facility requirements may result in delays in the clerkship, which could delay graduation. Students are responsible for ensuring all necessary paperwork and requirements are completed for each SCPE experience. BLS, ACLS, and PALS Certification:
Students must complete and maintain Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certifications as part of their didactic training and throughout the program until graduation. Failure to complete these certifications during scheduled sessions will require students to obtain them at their own expense before the deadlines set by the Clinical Team during the didactic year.Blood and Bodily Fluid ExposuresStudents are required to comply with ST.20 Bloodborne Pathogen Infection Policy for School of Health Professions Students. In the event of a blood or body fluid exposure (e.g., needle stick), students must follow the Bloodborne pathogen exposure protocol. Upon exposure, it is the responsibility of the student to notify the preceptor/site supervisor of the exposure, ensure that source patient blood is drawn by the clinic/hospital personnel, contact the office of Institutional Health, and notify the clinical team/program director.Office of Institutional Health Contact Phone Numbers- Business hours: 806-743-3019
- After hours: 806-368-2647
Certain clinical environments may involve exposure to potentially harmful substances, such as bone cement in surgery rotations, which may be of particular concern during pregnancy. Students should remain aware of such risks and notify their faculty advisor promptly to ensure appropriate precautions are taken. Expectations of Clerkship Students
Timely Communication during Clerkships
The following should be used to direct communications appropriate during clerkship experiences:| Issue | Timeliness of Communication | Contact Person |
| Emergency | 24/7 | 432-620-1135 |
| Urgent rotation concerns during business hours | During normal business hours, as soon as possible | Clerkship Coordinator, by email or phone |
| Non-urgent rotation concerns | During normal business hours | Clinicalteam.paprogram@ttuhsc.edu |
| Absence due to illness or emergency | During normal business hours, as soon as possible | First, notify the preceptor and then your Faculty Advisor and Clinicalteam.paprogram@ttuhsc.edu |
| Preceptor illness or vacation | During normal business hours, as soon as possible | Clinicalteam.paprogram@ttuhsc.edu |
| Blood or bodily fluid exposure | Seek medical care urgently, contact preceptor. Contact Office of Institutional Health as soon as possible during business hours | Seek medical care and contact Nicole Hines, Office of Institutional Health |
| Change of address or contact information | Within 5 business days | PA Program Business Coordinator and Registrar's Office |
Identification during Clinical Experiences
Name tags and Badges:
Students must wear a name tag identifying them as a Physician Assistant Student at all times during clinical experiences. If a site requires additional identification, students are responsible for complying with those requirements.It is the student's responsibility to complete any necessary paperwork to obtain required badges and to return them to the site before departure. Greeting Patients and Student Identification Requirements:
Students must introduce themselves to patients using their name and identify themselves as a TTUHSC Physician Assistant Student. Additionally, they must explain their role and working relationship with their preceptor.Signing charts:
When a student signs a chart, they must identify their student status, ex. PA-S2. Any official paperwork or chart must be co-signed by the preceptor.Student Supervision:
Students must be supervised by their preceptor who is a licensed provider at all times. Students may only rotate with approved preceptors. Under no circumstances should a PA student be permitted to practice independent of direct supervision.Students may only perform tasks and procedures for which they have been properly trained and must do so under the direct supervision of their preceptor or a designated secondary preceptor within the practice.Under no circumstances should a PA student be used as an employee of the practice or represented to patients as such. Students should not be used as clerical staff, medical scribes, or research assistants. Emergency Related Closures for students on clinical placements
Students on preceptorship or clinical placements are to follow the policies of their affiliate or clinical site regarding emergency-related closures. Suspension of classes or office closures on a TTUHSC campus does not supersede the policies of the affiliate or clinical site.Clerkship Attendance Policies
Attendance:
Students are required to attend clinic at scheduled times and work the hours set forth by their designated preceptor (minimum of 8 hours/day, 40 hours per week). This is required throughout the entire length of the clinical rotation experience. While on clinical rotations, students will be “on duty” at the discretion of their supervising preceptor; it is not limited to the 8:00 am – 5:00 pm schedule.This includes the potential of working weekends, holidays, and on-call hours. In order to successfully complete the professional curriculum on time, rotations must be started and completed as scheduled. Requests for time off (arriving late, leaving early, personal days, appointments, etc.) must be pre- approved by the Faculty Advisor prior to seeking approval from the preceptor. Clinical Absences:
Any illnesses or absences must be reported to their assigned academic advisor and Clerkship Coordinator immediately. All missed clinical hours must be recovered on an hour for hour basis. Missed clinical hours may be recovered during the rotation if time allows or at other times as approved by the DOCE through the Clinical Coordinator. If a student misses clinical time during the clerkship, the student will be required to maintain a time log to be co-signed by the supervising clinical preceptor. This will be used by their Clinical Coordinator to evaluate the need for additional clinical time in that area.Excused Absences and Personal Days:
All anticipated absences must be pre-approved by the Faculty Advisor prior to requesting the absence from the Preceptor. Absence approval will be considered on a case-by-case basis.See attendance policy in PA General Information section
