Become a Clinical Educator

Clinical Educators are a vital part of the student growth to becoming entry-level physiotherapists! Clinical Educators mentor and support students to shape their professional identity and facilitate their understanding of how to apply the skills they have learned in school in an authentic clinical context. 

A day in the life of a Clinical Educator

Clinical Educators:

      • Model and facilitate a student's understanding of professional and ethical practice.
      • Help the student develop and employ communication strategies to work effectively with clients, families and members of the health care team.
      • Help the student identify when to use specific assessment techniques, what information they are learning from these techniques, and how these data inform their differential diagnoses, problem list and treatment interventions.
      • Facilitate the students' understanding of when to apply specific treatment interventions, educational resources, exercise programming, and how to assess the success of these interventions.
      • Facilitate the student learning evidence-informed practice: how to pair the scientific literature learned in school with the client's individual presentation.
      • Continue to provide high level client-centred care.
      • Provide informal evaluation on a day-to-day basis; summative evaluations are completed by both the student and clinical educator at the midpoint and the end of the placement block.

If a difficult situation were to arise (e.g., conflicts, safety issues, etc.), the Department is available to assist and provide guidance.

Practicing and licensed clinicians interested in becoming a Clinical Educator will need to ensure that their clinic has an established Student Placement Agreement. See Qualify Your Clinic for more information. Once qualified, the clinic will receive invitations to submit placement offers periodically throughout the year. 

The Department recognizes that learning to become an effective clinical educator is often an informal process. Resources and supports have been developed to aid in the development of skills in this area. See Clinical Education Professional Development for more information.  

Preceptors are encouraged to join the UBC Clinical Faculty. Learn more about the application process and benefits here.

For FAQs related to clinical educators, please click here.