We are excited to launch the Lobo PA Association, which will transition our PA Alumni Association to an expanded membership to include alumni, preceptors, faculty, and students—creating a space where every voice that contributes to the success of our program is valued and connected. This reflects our commitment to inclusiveness and collaboration within the UNM PA community. This broader network fosters mentorship, professional growth, and shared experiences across all stages of the PA journey, ensuring that our community thrives through mutual support and engagement. Inclusiveness is at the heart of this change—because together, we are stronger, and together, we are Lobo PA.
Lobo PA Mission: Unite UNM PA alumni and preceptors to foster professional growth, mentorship, and community engagement.
Vision: A thriving, inclusive network that supports lifelong learning and leadership in PA practice.
Please read on for ways you can be involved!
Precepting
The UNM Physician Assistant Program (PA) is looking for qualified clinical preceptors to invest in the next generation of PA students. Precepting is a significant commitment—and a rewarding experience!
Preceptors are primarily physician assistants (PA-Cs), medical doctors (MDs or DOs), and occasionally other licensed health care providers. The UNM PA Program has a policy and process in place to vet preceptors to ensure that SCPEs occur with preceptors who are qualified in their area of instruction. This includes physicians, PAs, advanced practice nurses, and other clinicians.
Preceptors are integral to creating successful learning experiences for UNM students. By providing hands-on experience and real-world patient interactions, preceptors help our students develop the skills, knowledge, clinical judgment and professionalism necessary to become successful, practicing PAs.
Preceptors teach, mentor and model professional clinical behavior. As a preceptor, you will teach students about effective communication, physical exams, problem assessment, and diagnosis and treatment plans. You will demonstrate and observe clinical skills, review documentation, and serve as a valuable resource for clinical questions and feedback.
As a clinical preceptor, you will work with students at clinical sites, including major healthcare organizations, rural facilities and private practices. You can provide a clinical experience in one of two ways:
Continuity Clinics: local, half-day per week experiences that reinforce knowledge and skills learned in the classroom.
Supervised Clinical Practice Experiences: Full-time 4-week SCPEs throughout the state expose students to a wide range of patients and disciplines.
Why Become a Preceptor?
Preceptors benefit from teaching tomorrow's PA leaders. As a preceptor, you will:
Engage with medical knowledge in new ways
Earn free AAPA CME credits
Access quality student recruits for future positions
Support and strengthen your profession
Be eligible for special UNM School of Medicine perks as a Community Faculty member (application required)
Preceptor Qualifications:
Be a:
PA who holds or has held NCCPA certification
Physician who holds or has held board certification
Advanced practice nurse who holds or has held board certification
Other clinician who is vetted by the program as qualified
Hold a valid, unrestricted, and unencumbered license to practice
Complete PA Program preceptor onboarding, including orientation to learning outcomes (via smartsheet link or 1:1 meeting)
Meet benchmarks on student and program evaluations
You choose your level of participation. Whether you work with one student annually or a different student every four weeks, we will help you create rotations that are considerate of your schedule.
To begin the process of becoming a UNM PA Program preceptor, including establishing a training/affiliation agreement if necessary, email HSC-PAProgram@salud.unm.edu.
Guest Lecturing
The UNM PA Program seeks qualified subject matter experts to serve as guest lecturers to deliver content to PA students in the classroom. Guest lecturers may deliver one or multiple sessions covering various topics and objectives.
Under your guidance, students will learn to applyknowledge to become competent and compassionate healthcare providers. At UNM, there arealsomanyotherpaths to share yourexpertise:
Become a volunteerclinical skills or clinical reasoning facilitator
Volunteer to help with admission interviews
Donate to support UNM PA student scholarship and funding opportunities
Let us know any other ways you would like to be involved!
For more information on any of these opportunities, please contact the PA Program at HSC-PAProgram@salud.unm.edu. We appreciate your involvement and support!
Contact the PA Program
Physician Assistant Program
Domenici 3010 MSC 09 5040 1 University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM 87131
