The recent changes to expand the permissible scope of medical student documentation draw ample parallels to historical efforts to increase the clinical role of medical learners. While the expanded role of medical student documentation holds the potential for increased community preceptorship and enhanced medical student participation in patient care, it also comes with possible consequences for preceptors, students, and patients. The authors posit that while the rule changes represent important steps forward, further guidance around how these rules are to be implemented will be necessary before the healthcare system can reap their full benefit.
Keywords: documentation; medical students; physicians; practice patterns; preceptorship; undergraduate medical education.