PALLA Preceptor Fellowship 2027: Up to $10,000, CME and Clinical Teaching Development for U.S. PA, NP and Physician Preceptors

PALLA Preceptor Fellowship 2027: Up to $10,000, CME and Clinical Teaching Development for U.S. PA, NP and Physician Preceptors

The PA Leadership and Learning Academy (PALLA) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore is accepting applications for its 2027 Preceptor Fellowship. The six-month program is for practicing clinicians who want to become stronger clinical educators, build a community of interprofessional preceptors, and prepare to teach physician assistant students. The 2027 cohort begins in January 2027 and ends in June 2027. Applications are open through October 16, 2026.

The fellowship has a meaningful financial component, but it is not a conventional tuition scholarship or a salaried clinical job. The current program page describes a first $5,000 stipend for successful completion of the fellowship, followed by eligibility for up to another $5,000 after the fellow precepts two students from a Maryland PA program. The page also lists more than 20 hours of Category 1 CME, mentoring, scholarly opportunities, library access, a telehealth certificate, leadership development, networking, and membership in the Academy of Preceptors.

This opportunity is most useful for a PA, nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, physician, or osteopathic physician who is already practicing in the United States and wants to make clinical teaching part of a longer-term professional plan. It is especially relevant to applicants who can help Maryland PA programs find clinical placements, although the official eligibility language does not say that every applicant must already work in Maryland.

Key details

The stipend is connected to participation and later precepting, so applicants should treat the award as performance-linked support rather than guaranteed cash at the time of acceptance. Read the current application language carefully for the exact payment schedule and any documentation required after the fellowship.

What the fellowship offers

PALLA describes the fellowship as a preceptor-development program rather than a short clinical teaching workshop. Its purpose is to advance clinical education, create an interprofessional community, and promote excellence in precepting and PA education. That distinction matters. A clinician who only wants a continuing-education certificate may find a shorter course more efficient. A clinician who wants to supervise learners, reflect on teaching practice, and produce useful educational work is closer to the program’s intended audience.

The 2027 cohort is expected to combine synchronous and asynchronous learning. The official description uses every-other-week, 120-minute active learning sessions alongside self-paced online work. Fellows also work with dedicated mentors and have an opportunity to produce applied scholarly products. Examples listed by PALLA include quality improvement, implementation science, clinical medicine, leadership, health professions education, and health systems science.

The practical benefits extend beyond the stipend. More than 20 hours of Category 1 CME can help a practicing clinician maintain professional development records. A telehealth certificate may add a useful credential, while access to University of Maryland library services can support educational or scholarly work. The program also lists leadership and management skills, scholarship opportunities, networking, and membership in the Academy of Preceptors. A potential faculty appointment is described as a possibility, not a promise; the university does not obligate its system institutions to offer a faculty position after completion.

Who is a strong fit

The strongest applicants will be able to connect three things: their current clinical work, a concrete interest in teaching, and a credible plan to precept PA students after the program. A general statement such as “I enjoy helping learners” is a starting point, not a persuasive case. A better application will explain what the applicant has already done, what kind of clinical learning environment they want to build, and how PALLA would help them become more effective.

Consider this fellowship if you are already supervising students informally, orienting new colleagues, serving as a clinical educator, or asking your employer to support a formal student-placement role. It can also fit a clinician who has a strong specialty background but wants structured preparation in feedback, assessment, learner inclusion, teaching design, or clinical-site leadership.

The program is particularly relevant to applicants who work in or near communities that Maryland PA programs serve. PALLA says preference will be given to people with the greatest promise of precepting Maryland PA students. That preference is not the same as an absolute residency rule, but it does make the future placement question central. An applicant from outside Maryland should explain what connection they have to Maryland programs or why they can realistically support students from them.

Eligibility requirements

The official page says a prospective fellow should have an active license to practice medicine in the United States and current certification as a PA, NP, CNMW, MD, or DO. The current listing also requires U.S. citizenship or permanent-resident status. Applicants should verify that their license and certification will remain current throughout the cohort and should be ready to provide accurate professional details in the application.

Applicants must demonstrate a desire for clinical teaching and a willingness to precept PA students after completing the fellowship. This is an important commitment. The program is not simply a professional-development award for a clinician who has no intention of hosting learners. The post-fellowship teaching plan should be realistic about specialty, setting, supervision, student volume, and employer support.

PALLA’s selection criteria add several fit signals. Reviewers consider the potential to precept students in Maryland PA programs, alignment between the applicant’s career objectives and PALLA’s work in PA education, leadership, research, and policy, and whether the applicant’s specialty is in demand by Maryland PA programs. The page also highlights applicants who work in medically underserved communities and those who show a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in clinical learning environments.

The official page does not publish a minimum number of years in practice, a GPA requirement, or a fixed list of specialty areas. Do not invent those requirements. Instead, use the selection criteria as the practical test: can you show that your clinical experience and career plans will make you a useful future preceptor?

Application process and deadline

Applications for the 2027 cohort are open through October 16, 2026. The University of Maryland page directs applicants to apply through Qualtrics. Start from the official PALLA Preceptor Fellowship page and use its current application link rather than relying on a saved form URL. Online forms can change between cycles, and the official page is the source of truth for the active application.

The program page confirms the cohort schedule: the next fellowship begins in January 2027 and ends in June 2027. It describes a six-month structure of every-other-week live learning and self-paced work, with an estimated total time commitment of 50–55 hours. The application itself may ask for information that is not reproduced in the public page. Because PALLA does not publish a complete 2027 checklist in the program summary, applicants should open the form early, record every prompt, and confirm whether references, a supervisor statement, a curriculum vitae, or a teaching plan are required.

For questions about the opportunity, contact PALLA at [email protected] or 410-706-2405. Ask specific questions about licensure categories, Maryland placement expectations, stipend timing, employer approval, or documentation rather than asking whether the program is “competitive.” Clear questions help the program staff give an answer that can improve your application.

Materials to prepare

The public page confirms the program’s eligibility and selection themes but does not provide a final, itemized 2027 materials list. Prepare a compact application file anyway. Keep your clinical resume current, including licenses, certifications, specialty experience, teaching, student supervision, quality-improvement work, and leadership. If your resume is long, make the entries that show teaching potential easy to find.

Draft a short teaching statement before opening the form. It should answer why you want to precept PA students, what learners need from your setting, how you give feedback, and what you want to improve through PALLA. Use one or two specific examples from practice. A story about helping a learner reason through a difficult patient encounter is more useful than a list of adjectives.

Prepare a practical post-fellowship plan. Identify the type of PA student you could host, the approximate setting, the skills or patient populations available, and the person at your workplace who would need to approve the arrangement. If you can precept Maryland students, say how. If that connection is still developing, describe the steps you will take to build it rather than implying that a placement is already guaranteed.

Also prepare concise evidence of your fit with the selection criteria. This might include learner feedback, a teaching evaluation, a quality-improvement result, an example of adapting care for an underserved population, or a description of how you have made a clinical learning environment more inclusive. Use evidence that can be checked or explained. Do not claim formal educational outcomes if you have not measured them.

How to make the application stronger

Build the application around a clear before-and-after argument. First, describe the teaching responsibility or opportunity you have now. Next, identify the gap: perhaps you need a better method for feedback, more confidence with assessment, stronger curriculum design, or a structured pathway to clinical faculty work. Finally, show what you will do with the training after June 2027.

Make the Maryland PA-student connection concrete. The program’s preference for applicants who can precept Maryland students means reviewers will likely care about the practical supply of clinical learning sites. Explain your location, practice setting, patient mix, scheduling capacity, and any existing relationship with a Maryland PA program. If you need an employer to approve student placements, start that conversation before submitting.

Treat equity and inclusion as part of teaching quality, not as a decorative paragraph. A useful statement can explain how you would welcome learners from different backgrounds, make expectations transparent, respond to bias, or ensure that students encounter patients and cases that broaden their clinical preparation. Tie the claim to something you have done or plan to implement.

Be specific about time. The program estimates 50–55 hours over six months. Show that you have considered how every-other-week sessions and self-paced work fit around shifts, call, family responsibilities, and patient care. If your employer will support protected time, state that accurately. If you are still negotiating it, say what approval remains.

Common mistakes to avoid

The most common mistake would be treating the fellowship as a $10,000 award with optional teaching attached. The financial support depends on completing the program and, for the additional amount, documenting the required student precepting. Show commitment to the educational work first.

Another mistake is making broad claims about becoming faculty. PALLA lists a potential faculty appointment as a benefit, but it also says that University of Maryland System institutions are not obligated to offer one. Present faculty development as a possible direction, not an implied outcome.

Do not assume that a clinical title automatically proves teaching readiness. Explain how you have coached, supervised, assessed, or supported learners. Conversely, do not undersell informal teaching because it was not part of your job title. Structured examples are useful even when the role was voluntary.

Avoid leaving the Maryland placement question unanswered. If you are not currently connected to a Maryland PA program, use the application to show how your practice could become a useful site and what conversations you have begun. Also avoid waiting until the deadline day to learn the form’s document requirements. The public summary does not list every field, so early review is part of the application work.

FAQ

Is the fellowship open to students or only licensed clinicians?

The published eligibility is for practicing, licensed U.S. clinicians who are currently certified as a PA, NP, CNMW, MD, or DO. It is not described as a student scholarship or a general graduate fellowship.

Is the full $10,000 guaranteed?

No. The program describes $5,000 for successful completion and eligibility for up to another $5,000 after the fellow precepts two students from a Maryland PA program. Confirm the current payment and evidence rules in the application.

Does the program require Maryland residency?

The public eligibility list requires U.S. citizenship or permanent residency and says preference goes to applicants with strong potential to precept Maryland PA students. It does not state a blanket Maryland-residency requirement. Applicants outside Maryland should explain their realistic connection to Maryland student placements.

How much time does the program take?

PALLA estimates 50–55 hours over six months. The format includes every-other-week 120-minute active learning sessions and self-paced online learning.

Does completion guarantee a University of Maryland faculty job?

No. The program lists a potential faculty appointment as a perk, but the official page says University System institutions are not obligated to offer one.

Where should I confirm the current application link?

Use the University of Maryland PALLA Preceptor Fellowship page. It is the official program page and directs applicants to the current Qualtrics application.

Official links and next steps

Start with the official PALLA Preceptor Fellowship page. Confirm the form, deadline, current stipend language, and any 2027 instructions there. For questions not answered on the page, contact [email protected] or 410-706-2405.

If this program fits, do three things before submitting: document your clinical teaching experience, write a specific plan for precepting PA students after the fellowship, and confirm that your employer and practice setting can support that plan. The October 16 deadline leaves enough time to prepare a thoughtful application, but not enough time to postpone the practical placement conversation until after selection.