The Chilliwack Division of Family Practice has teamed up with UBC Faculty of Medicine to bring back a premier preceptor teaching skills program for community family physicians in Chilliwack, Hope and Agassiz beginning this September.
A Day in the Life of a Preceptor, a 10-month professional development course, offers a unique opportunity for physicians to advance their teaching skills and help mentor and educate future family doctors in the community.
Designed by family physicians for family physicians, the program is explicitly structured around the realities of teaching in a community-based office.
“We really need to show medical students how fun family practice can be and it can be a fulfilling career,” noted South Delta, B.C. family physician Dr. Jennifer Rogerson, a past participant and physician lead of the preceptor program.
Rogerson said participating in the program gave her an opportunity to “give back to the next generation” of medical students.
Beyond the personal fulfillment of teaching, the course helps create strong professional ties closer to home, she added.
“That connection in my own community with other people who are interested in teaching is really valuable. I really didn’t have that, previously,” Rogerson said. “I see myself more now as a coach and a mentor for the students rather than a teacher… coaching them in exploring and learning themselves.”
About the preceptor course
The course curriculum is structured around five core topics, each one covering a different aspect of being a preceptor. To accommodate busy clinical schedules, the topics are delivered through a flexible, three-part learning cycle that includes:
- Virtual meetings: Interactive live sessions or recorded videos hosted by UBC.
- Self-paced e-learning: Engaging online modules completed via Canvas Catalog.
- Case-based learning: Interactive, small-group meetings hosted locally by the Chilliwack Division.
The course is certified by the UBC Faculty of Medicine’s Division of Continuing Professional Development for up to 17.5 Mainpro+ certified credits across the five topics. Upon completion of the 10-month program, participants will also receive a formal UBC teaching certificate
Registration for the 2026-27 cohort is now open to all community family physicians, regardless of past teaching experience.
Register now to reserve your spot. Registration ends August 31st.