Support for New Graduates
Support for New Graduates
Starting a new clinical role is a big step and at Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, you don’t have to take it alone. The best care happens when providers feel supported, confident, and connected. That’s why we’ve built intentional onboarding, mentorship, and training experiences designed to help you grow into your role at a pace that makes sense.
Our approach is especially strong for new graduates and early-career providers, with structured support that extends well beyond orientation and into your first years of practice.
Built In Mentorship
Our mentorship approach pairs new providers with experienced clinicians who understand both the practice of medicine and the realities of serving diverse, rural, and underserved communities. Mentors are there to offer guidance, share institutional knowledge, and serve as a trusted sounding board as you navigate your first months with us.
All new advance practice clinicians with less than two years of clinical experience are assigned a dedicated mentor at their clinical site. For physician assistants, this is typically their supervising physician. For nurse practitioners, mentors may be any experienced clinician. Psychiatry nurse practitioners also receive this mentorship support.
Mentorship at YVFWC is structured, consistent, and paid time for both the mentor and the new provider. Meetings begin weekly for the first 90 days, then gradually taper as confidence and independence grow. Providers continue meeting every other week through six months, monthly through the first year, and every other month through their second year of practice. Topics range from clinical decision making and complex cases to charting, billing, clinic culture, quality metrics, and workflow efficiency.
Whether you’re early in your career or bringing prior experience, mentorship at YVFWC is about connection, collaboration, and long-term professional growth.
A Strong Preceptor Experience
Our preceptor program supports hands on learning in real clinical settings, helping providers build confidence while maintaining high standards of care. Preceptors work closely with new providers to reinforce workflows, clinical decision making, and team-based care that ensures learning feels supported, not rushed.
As part of this experience, new providers participate in structured observation and shadowing. During the first two months, providers spend two half days each month shadowing their mentor and other clinicians. This dedicated time allows new providers to observe patient interactions, team dynamics, and clinical workflows without the pressure of a full patient schedule.
This approach allows providers to ask questions, observe best practices, and gradually step into independence with clarity and confidence.
A Thoughtful Ramp Up Schedule
We don’t believe in “sink or swim.” New providers follow a structured ramp up period that allows time to learn systems, workflows, and patient populations without being overwhelmed.
For new graduates across MD, DO, PA, NP, and mental health NP roles, ramp up typically occurs over six months. Providers begin with a lighter patient load, often starting at one patient per hour, with gradual increases each month until fully ramped. This extended ramp up is longer than what many organizations offer and is intentionally designed to support safe, high-quality care while allowing providers to build efficiency and confidence at a sustainable pace.
Experienced clinicians joining YVFWC may ramp up more quickly depending on background and comfort level. For example, seasoned advance practice clinicians may follow a shorter ramp up period while still receiving the support they need to succeed.
Ongoing Education and EMR Support
Education doesn’t stop after graduation. All new graduate PAs and NPs are enrolled in the Thrive Advanced Practice Didactics Program during their first year. This program mirrors the didactic curriculum used in our nurse practitioner fellowship and includes weekly protected time for education. Providers often find that learning topics in didactics directly aligns with what they are seeing in clinic, reinforcing real world application.
In addition, new providers receive focused EMR support. During the first year, providers meet one on one with an EPIC trainer around the six- and twelve-month marks to review individual usage data, templates, quick actions, and documentation efficiency. Each clinic also has an EPIC champion, a provider with advanced training and dedicated time to support colleagues with ongoing optimization.
Coding education is also built into the first six months, with multiple structured training sessions to support accurate documentation and billing from the start.
Team Based Care That Has Your Back
You’ll never be practicing in isolation. YVFWC providers work within interdisciplinary care teams that include medical assistants, nurses, behavioral health clinicians, pharmacists, dietitians, community health workers, and chronic care support staff.
This team-based model allows providers to practice at the top of their license while knowing they are supported by a skilled, collaborative team focused on whole person care.