Defining the roles of preceptors

Dear fellow MSPs:

The topic of preceptorship seems to be surfacing recently. Our facility designed a preceptorship program about two years ago. Med staff physicians supported the idea of sending one member of their specialty group to learn a new procedure and, once trained, to return, provide documentation of the training received on the new procedure, and then request clinical privileges for that procedure. Once approved, he or she would be qualified to train (preceptor) other med staff members interested in obtaining that privilege.
 
One physician recently requested a preceptorship for a procedure he wanted to learn. He asked another med staff physician who had the privilege to be his preceptor. But when the credentials committee reviewed the request and both physicians' credentials files, it said our guidelines for preceptee and preceptor were not outlined clearly enough. (The preceptor’s file showed he'd done only a handful of the procedures in the past year. Was that enough?)  Though it was felt that both this particular preceptee and preceptor were qualified to request and conduct the preceptorship (and did receive approval) under the guidelines in place, the committee said a clearer definition of the preceptee/preceptor was needed. Here’s what we came up with at our facility: 
 
Preceptee/trainee: A surgeon with appropriate basic knowledge and experience seeking individual training in skills and/or procedures not learned in prior formal training. The trainee must have appropriate background knowledge, basic skills and clinical experience relevant to the proposed curriculum. The trainee should be board eligible or certified in the appropriate specialty or possess equivalent board certification from outside the U.S.
 
Preceptor: An expert surgeon who undertakes to impart his/her clinical knowledge and skills in a defined setting to a preceptee. The preceptor must be appropriately privileged, skilled and experienced in the procedure(s) and or technique(s) in question. To serve as a preceptor in a specific procedure or technique, the surgeon/preceptor must be a recognized authority (e.g. publications, presentations, extensive clinical experience) in the particular field of expertise."
 
Perhaps others have faced a similar situation at their facility? 

-- Diane Hendrickson