Behind on your UC clinical hours partway through the term

Why a shortfall is hard to close at UC

Three UC rules box you in. Hours must fall within semester dates, because that's when UC's malpractice coverage applies, so a catch-up week over the break isn't available. Your preceptor verifies time logs in eMedley, and UC asks them to do it every 14 days. And the Preceptor Guide says no grade is awarded until all hours and evaluations are in.

Put together, a gap spotted in the final fortnight is often too late to fix, while the same gap spotted at midterm may still have options. The sooner you count, the more of those options remain open.

Work out the real gap

1. Start from verified hoursUse the total your preceptor has verified in eMedley, not your own tally. Unverified logs are a gap until they're confirmed, so chase those first.
2. Check the course targetCompare against your course's hours below. FNP students should also check the population mix, not just the total.
3. Count the weeks leftUse your course's semester end date. UC's fall 2026 semester runs August 24 to December 12.
4. DivideHours owed divided by weeks left is your weekly need. An FNP student in ANNP8072 who still owes 120 of 224 hours with six weeks left needs 20 a week, which fits under the 40-hour cap only if the preceptor has the days.

Ways to add hours inside UC's rules

• More days with your current preceptor. The simplest fix if they have room. UC's preceptor FAQ describes a commitment of one or two days a week, so ask directly whether an extra day is possible for the rest of the term. FNP weeks can't pass 40 hours, and AGPCNP clinical days must run at least 4 hours with the preceptor.
• A second preceptor at the same site. Often quicker than a new site because the agreement may already cover them, but they need a Preceptor Application and UC's approval. Your track's per-preceptor minimum also has to be reachable before the term ends: 60 hours for FNP, 80 for AGPCNP and AGACNP, 40 for PMHNP.
• A second site. Usually too slow mid-term unless it already has an active UC agreement, since UC's standard one takes at least six weeks.
• Telehealth, where allowed. UC permits limited telehealth hours case by case, with program director approval, for AGPCNP, FNP, Nurse-Midwifery, PNP-AC, PMHNP and WHNP. Our telehealth hours page sets out the conditions.

Check the per-semester caps before you ask anyone. AGPCNP students may have no more than two preceptors in a semester, and one in Practicum I without faculty approval; PMHNP students no more than two. FNP students can carry up to 32 extra hours from one practicum into the next, so if you banked some last term, confirm with faculty that they've been applied.

Talk to your faculty before the gap grows

Course faculty confer with you and your preceptor at least twice a semester, and it's on you to schedule those meetings (more on UC's evaluations and conferences). Don't wait for the next one if your numbers are slipping. Bring your verified total, the weekly need you worked out and what your preceptor can realistically offer.

Ask plainly what happens if the hours aren't complete by the semester's end. UC's handbook ties malpractice coverage to semester dates but carves out students with a satisfactory progress (SP) or incomplete (I) grade. That exception exists; whether your course grants either grade in your case is for faculty to decide, so get the answer early and in writing.

Keep it from happening next term

• Confirm the preceptor's schedule before the packet goes in: which days, how many hours and any weeks they'll be away.
• For FNP, plan the population mix across all three practicums: 150 women's health, 200 pediatric and 322 adult primary care hours.
• Line up later preceptors early. FNP, AGPCNP and PMHNP students each need at least three over the program.
• Watch your eMedley verifications every two weeks so a gap shows while it's still small.
• Keep your CastleBranch items in date. UC's Critical Requirements page says missed deadlines keep students out of clinical hours, which is a gap no preceptor can fix.

Our page on UC clinical hour logs explains verification and carry-forward track by track.

How we help close an hour gap

When the fix is a second preceptor, hand that search to us. We look for a clinician near you who fits your track's rules and has enough open days before the semester closes to reach the per-preceptor minimum, and we check your track's per-semester caps before a single name reaches you. Where a site already holds a UC agreement, we look there first, because it saves the slowest step.

Once someone agrees, we pull together the preceptor's half of the Preceptor Application and the site details, so the file lands with your CSC ready to review. Your coordinator gives the final approval, and a clean, complete file is the quickest way to it. Tell us your hour gap.