Increasing the effectiveness of clinical supervision.

Effective use of preceptors in the clinical training and supervision of residents involves four essential steps: careful screening of the preceptor's practice to ensure it reflects the goals of the residency program and teaching the preceptor about the goals; setting a realistic contract for learning between resident and preceptor; teaching the preceptor to use constructive feedback techniques in the day-to-day supervision of residents; and developing the preceptor's skills in the reliable and valid evaluation of the resident's performance. Clinical preceptors must be trained to become effective teachers and evaluators in residency programs.