How do I run a productive one-on-one with my preceptor?

A standing meeting with your preceptor is only as useful as the preparation behind it. If you arrive and wait for them to lead, the meeting drifts into small talk and loose ends. Treat it as your meeting to run.

Before the meeting

Send a short agenda a day ahead, or at least that morning. Three sections are enough:

• Done since last time: two or three bullets, not a full list of tasks
• Need your input: decisions, approvals, or questions only your preceptor can answer
• Coming up: what you plan to work on next and any deadlines

Put the items that need their input near the top, so they get answered even if the meeting runs short.

During the meeting

Open with a one-minute progress summary, then spend most of the time on what's blocking you. Bring drafts to react to rather than questions like "what should I do?" Take notes as you go. Every few weeks, set aside a few minutes for bigger topics like how the practicum is going overall, skills you want to build, or projects you'd like to join.

After the meeting

Within a day, send a short recap: decisions made, who owns each next step, and dates. This takes five minutes and prevents most "I thought you said..." problems. It also gives you a dated record you can draw on later for reflections and evaluations.

If meetings keep getting cut

A good agenda makes a short meeting workable. If your meetings keep getting cancelled, the fix is different. See what to do when your preceptor is too busy. For turning regular updates into something useful rather than a chore, read the weekly update report trap.