Preceptorship
Overview
June 16 - July 13, 2024
Overview
At the annual Whole Person Care Preceptorship (WPCP) held in Southern California, you’ll receive professional training to ethically and sensitively assess and address the spiritual needs of your patients. Weekly you’ll work with and learn from seasoned Christian physicians and healthcare professionals who regularly integrate their faith into their patient care in a variety of specialties and settings. Plus you’ll have ample opportunities to do the same with real patients in both clinical and hospital situations.
Most importantly, you’ll grow and reconnect with God and become better prepared to lead colleagues spiritually. You will enjoy ample time for personal devotionals and learn from experts in the fields of personal ministry, bioethics, apologetics, and theology.
As you serve and enjoy the incredible attractions of California, you’ll build lasting relationships and community with like-minded students and return to school rejuvenated and refreshed. The WPCP is a joint venture of Medical Strategic Network, Cru, and Loma Linda University Medical Center.
Dates
June 16 - July 13, 2024
Location & Housing
The Preceptorship takes place in Redlands, CA, a quaint historic town 60 miles east of Los Angeles.
You will be housed at the University of Redlands in the Brockton Student Apartments. Each unit is furnished and has a common living area, kitchen, four individual single bedrooms, and two full baths. Linens are provided. An onsite laundry and free high speed internet access will be available.
All meals (included in your Preceptorship fee) will be provided in either the university cafeteria (all you care to eat), through local caterers, or at restaurants.
Who is this for?
The Whole Person Care Preceptorship is open to healthcare students who are currently enrolled in or officially accepted into a professional training program like medical school, nursing school, pharmacy school, dental school, PT, OT, PA, and most allied health fields.
The Preceptorship occurs in Southern California.
Sample Daily Schedule
- 7:30: Breakfast
- 8:00-10:00: Group worship, personal devotionals, etc.
- 10:00-12:00: Training Sessions (Sample topics – Serving the Underserved, Called for a Purpose, The Ethics of Whole Person Care, How to Take a Spiritual History, Sharing Your Spiritual Journey, Praying with Patients)
- 12:00-1:00: Lunch
- 1:00-5:00: Shadow in Clinics, one on one mentoring, or hospital patient visits
- 5:00-6:00: Dinner
- 7:00-9:00: Small Group Bible Studies (lead by healthcare professionals)
Also scheduled is time for church and group recreational trips.
Faculty (Partial List)
- Ana DePuy, RN
- Matt Fong, MD - Pediatrics
- Harvey Elder, MD - Internal Medicine
- Rick Langer, PhD - Bioethics
- David Levy, MD - Neurosurgery
- Paul Lorentsen, MD - Medicine/Pediatrics
- Bob Mason, MDiv - Director
- Diana Mason - Associate Director
- Henry Peng, MD - Sports Medicine
- Lily Phillips, MD - Family Practice
- Doug Richards, MD - Addictive Medicine
- Stanford Shu, MD - Pediatric Neurology
- David Tellez, MD - Pediatric Critical Care
- Helena Torres, PharmD
- Andrew Wai, MD - Medicine/Pediatrics
Preceptorship FAQs
Got questions and concerns about coming to the Whole Person Care Preceptorship? Most people do. Here’s a list of the more common things we hear. While most of these questions are addressed more extensively on other pages of our site, here’s a quick summary.
We can certainly understand that. Everybody needs some down time. That’s why our program is only five weeks long. Most students get about 8-12 weeks off for summer. So one can attend our Preceptorship in California and still have time to play, relax, travel, spend time with family, significant others, etc.
Plus our time is not all work. Each week we spend an entire day and night enjoying the best of Southern California – beaches, professional sports, major theme parks, hiking, world class museums and shopping, and more. You’ll get really close to the other students who attend. You’ll build great community and relationships as you thrive in incredible times together in the evenings, breaks, rotations, and meals. Believe it, you won’t want to leave at the end.
Yep, the bucks are usually short for students. If you do have money, it’s often loan money which is rapidly adding to your growing loan balance. That’s why we encourage you to not use your own money or borrow any more. You see, most students who have attended the preceptorship raise the money. Each summer God provides millions of dollars for students to serve him through opportunities like this. We help you do this via instructional packs and a personal coach. You’ll learn a simple and proven plan to pray, write some letters, and make some calls to folks you know. Then you watch God work. It’s often unbelievable how he provides. Of the hundreds of students we have invited to attend the Preceptorship, only two did not attend due to finances.
More, in addition to all your expenses (Preceptorship fee, airfare, meals, etc.) you are allowed to raise additional funds of up to $1600 which can be paid to you as a stipend. That way, you can leave with some income. And yes, we’ve seen God raise money for both student expenses and their stipend!
A great and welcome question. Visit the other pages on our site for more details on our history.
The quick answer is that we have done Preceptorships each summer since 2001. We began offering them after we had been in existence for about 10 years and had trained some 2,000 health professionals and students in whole person care. Many of docs and nurses who have attended our training have received professional continuing education credit (up to 17 hours of Category 1 CME for physicians and 23 hours of CEU for nurses – CME and CEU are required to maintain medical and nursing licenses.)
Some 400+ students just like you have attended the previous Preceptorships. And they have come from the best schools in the world including Harvard, Brown, Johns Hopkins, Columbia, UCLA, Emory, Case Western and many others. They’ve come from many different countries and many have continued from the same schools each year.
Yes! Spouses are welcome to attend, regardless of whether they are in a healthcare field or not. Over the years, several spouses have attended and all have had very positive experiences.
If your spouse is also in healthcare, he/she would be able to participate in the clinical aspects of the program. If not, they would still be able to attend all group teaching sessions, be involved in a small group, enjoy all social outings/trips, and potentially have a personal mentor.
As the Preceptorship costs are tied to actual costs of lodging, meals, local transportation, etc., spouses pay the same amount.
Read what Jessica, a wife of a medical student who attended the preceptorship, says about her decision and experience with us.
This Preceptorship might be more strategic than you think. First, we are investigating research opportunities which you might be able to do in California after the Preceptorship is over. Second, a well-worded description of your time at this here can attract attention to your residency application. More and more programs are recognizing the value of whole person care and might very well appreciate someone who has had extensive training and experience in this area. Third, all applicants are looking for something that wil set them apart from all other applicants. If you do this Preceptorship, few if any, will have a similar professional experience. Lastly, can we be honest with each other? Aren’t our futures something with which we need to wisely trust God? We are confident that if He calls you to spend five weeks with us this summer, he will bring together the plans he has for your residency. He raised Jesus from the dead and is the creator God. No sparrow falls to the ground without his knowledge. He is able to get the interview you need, move the decision makers to offer you the spot, and work through the match process to accomplish that which He already has planned for you on match day. Guaranteed.
Don’t give up yet. Many students with similar requirements have successfully negotiated with their schools to have this Preceptorship serve as a substitute for such requirements. We are available to coach you in the process of negotiating such an arrangement with your own school. This academic course description can be presented to your dean or advisor. Plus, our attending physician faculty are available to answer the questions of your advisors and deans.
Did we mention that elective rotation credit for this preceptorship may be available from you own school? We can help you negotiate with your own school to get elective rotation credit for your time on this Preceptorship. Our academic course description may be helpful
Yes. Local transportation will be provided with rented cars and the cars of other students who bring their car and are willing to provide transportation to others (these students will be reimbursed for gas and use).