How does my program verify my logged hours?

Every program handles this differently, but verification generally rests on three things: someone who supervised you confirms the time, someone at your program reviews the record, and the work you produced makes the hours believable.

Common verification methods

• Preceptor attestation: your preceptor signs weekly, monthly, or final hour summaries confirming they are accurate
• Program review: your coordinator or faculty advisor looks over your log at checkpoints, often the midpoint and the end
• Deliverables as evidence: finished products show that the logged hours produced real work
• Evaluations: your preceptor's midpoint and final evaluations describe what you did and how often you were engaged

Check your handbook for which of these your program uses and when.

What reviewers look for

A reviewer is not hunting for a reason to reject your hours. They are checking that the record is plausible. Entries that help:

• Specific descriptions that name a task, project, or audience
• Consistent patterns that match your agreed schedule
• Totals that add up across days, weeks, and the final summary
• Visible links between hours and the deliverables they produced

Entries that raise questions include identical descriptions repeated for weeks, large round blocks with no detail, and many hours logged on days your preceptor knows the site was closed.

Make your log easy to verify

Keep a running total, fix vague entries during a weekly review, and note anything unusual, such as a reconstructed day or an off-site event, at the time. How to document your MPH practicum describes the full documentation package reviewers expect.

If your preceptor or program questions an entry, respond with the supporting evidence rather than defensiveness. Calendars, emails, and file history usually settle it quickly.