Student/Preceptee Information
IMPORTANT NOTICE
PRECEPTORSHIP REQUIRMENT IN LOUISIANA
An eight-week (320-hour) BOARD APPROVED preceptorship
is a REQUIREMENT FOR LICENSURE IN LOUISIANA. This is not the same as an
externship or internship done through your school of veterinary medicine. Your
school’s program MAY OR MAY NOT qualify you for a waiver of the Board’s
requirement.
This is a real licensing requirement. It is not just a
paperwork “formality.” Plan to take this requirement seriously. If you request a
review of your student experience, you must allow three to four weeks for
processing. If the experience does not substantially meet our requirements, you
may be asked to obtain additional hours up to the maximum of 320.
Our program has very specific guidelines and paperwork
requirements. It may be quicker to use your intended employer as a preceptee.
This is NOT legal in Louisiana unless the employer is approved (by this
Board) as a preceptorship practice AND you register with us as a preceptee
FIRST. Retroactive approvals are strongly discouraged. They take longer to
process and may be denied which will delay your licensure.
Any person who performs surgery, makes a diagnosis,
prognosis, or prescribes medications or appliances in Louisiana is practicing
veterinary medicine. To legally practice veterinary medicine, you must have
a license or be registered as a preceptee with the LOUISIANA BOARD. If you are
not registered with us then you must have a Louisiana license to provide these
services. There are NO exceptions. Direct supervision is NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR
BOARD APPROVAL (see Rules 702 and 1031 of the Louisiana Veterinary Practice
Act).
We will be happy to answer your questions about this
requirement and help you select the most appropriate option. Please call us as
early as possible to avoid a delay in obtaining your license.
REQUIREMENTS
Example: Individuals graduating in calendar year 2003 (May
2003) must perform their preceptorship after January 1, 2003 (no time performed
prior to January 1, 2003 will be accepted).
Week in training – a week in training shall consist of
a minimum of 40 hours earned during a maximum of six calendar days. A calendar
day shall not exceed nine hours in duration.
Fourth year - the final year of study for a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
degree, or equivalent, at an accredited school of veterinary medicine.
INSTRUCTIONS
Please read carefully and contact the board office if you need additional
information or forms.
General Information
- Applicants should contact the Board office to confirm that
the practice they have selected is a pre-approved facility. If it is not,
students may request that a “Practice Assessment Questionnaire” be sent
to the practice for completion.
- All forms mentioned below are required elements of the
program. Incomplete submissions cannot be approved. No license numbers can be
issued until the preceptorship has been completed, reviewed, and approved.
- Approval of preceptorships is not automatic. Deficiencies
in the program or in the evaluation of the preceptee may cause a delay in the
licensing process. Normal processing time for complete submissions is two to
four weeks.
- All preceptorships must consist of not less than eight (8)
calendar weeks in training -- a minimum of 320 hours over 8 full weeks --
spent in a board-approved, private clinical practice. A week in
training consists of a minimum of 40 hours earned during a maximum of six (6)
calendar days. A calendar day shall not exceed nine hours in duration. The
board office will only count a maximum of 6 calendar days in a week and only
nine hours per calendar day.
Before beginning your preceptorship
- The practice selected must be pre-approved BEFORE the
preceptorship begins. Applicants can contact the Board office to confirm a
chosen practice as pre-approved or to request a list of pre-approved practices
in a specific area. If the practice chosen is not a pre-approved facility, the
student may request that a “Practice Assessment Questionnaire” be sent to the
practice for completion. The completed questionnaire must be submitted to the
Board office. Allow at least two weeks for approval.
- When an approved practice has been selected, the student
and the practice must jointly submit an “Agreement Form.” This
agreement form should be submitted to the Board office at least two weeks in
advance of the preceptorship starting date. Approval of a facility’s “Practice
Assessment Questionnaire” is not approval to start you preceptorship.
- Applicants will receive an acknowledgment sheet with a copy
of the approved job description on file for the practice chosen. After the job
description has been reviewed by the student, the student should sign and
return the acknowledgment sheet to the board office.
During the preceptorship
- An “Attendance Log” must be kept. Applicants must
keep a record of the days and number of hours worked. Preceptees must work no
less than eight full weeks -- a minimum of 320 hours over 8 weeks. A week in
training consists of no more than 40 hours earned during no more than six days
within a calendar week.
- The attendance log must be signed by both the supervising
veterinarian and the student preceptee before being submitted to the Board
office upon completion of the preceptorship.
Upon completion of the preceptorship
- Applicant must complete and submit a “Practice
Evaluation” form.
- The supervising veterinarian preceptor must complete and
submit a "Preceptor's Evaluation of Student Participation" form.
