Featured Preceptor: Maryam Shafiei Sabet, Clinical RD, MSc, CDE

Why do you choose to take on the role of a preceptor?

I love to teach students by helping them understand clinical practice and the workflow of a dietitian. During my internship, I had many different preceptors and I learned how impactful a great preceptor can be in shaping the learning experience for their student. 

What do you believe is the most important role a preceptor plays in augmenting a student’s education?

• Get to know your student’s learning style and adjust your teaching and coaching to best suit their student needs.
• Identify your student’s clinical knowledge gaps and focus on them by giving repeated opportunities for them to practice.
• Provide/ create opportunities for students to practice their clinical skills. This may be by collaborating with colleagues to identify patient cases or getting your student to practice by role-playing with you. 
• Help students to grow their self-confidence by providing lots of positive feedback along with the critical feedback. 

Please share any tips to precepting dietetic students you have found to be most effective. 

• Provide readings and assignments that help your student summarize the key clinical practice knowledge related to your practice area. 
• Focus on the daily tasks your student needs to demonstrate ie. data collection, speaking with patients, charting. Provide repeated opportunities for them to practice these skills to build their confidence. 

What do you do to prepare yourself for precepting a dietetic student? 

• Participating in leadership webinars/ courses
• Online courses for preceptor development

What do you perceive to be the professional benefits of becoming a preceptor?

• Developing stronger teaching skills
• Learning how to teach my students how to develop confidence in their clinical practice 

What do you perceive are the personal benefits of precepting a student?

• Learn to be more patient
• Helps you stay current with knowledge and best practice.
• Connects you to the next generation of dietitians.
• Contributes to the dietetics profession.