Preceptor Matching with Clinical Match Me

A preceptor match happens when you and a preceptor agree to work together for a clinical rotation. Finding that match on your own can take weeks of emails and phone calls, so if you’re feeling stuck, you’re not alone. With Clinical Match Me, preceptors come to you, and you choose the one you want.

This guide explains how preceptor matching works at Clinical Match Me, step by step. Learn what goes in a placement request, how offers and pricing work, what happens after you accept, and how our Money Back Guarantee protects you. You’ll also find ways to make a match more likely.

TL;DR

• Sign up free and submit a placement request with your specialty, dates, hours and location.
• Preceptors who match your profile send you offers, so you choose your preceptor instead of being assigned one.
• Most preceptors charge a flat rate of $1,995 for rotations up to 140 hours, or $2,195 for rotations up to 250 hours. Pay nothing until you accept an offer.
• When you accept an offer, you have your preceptor match. If your school requires an affiliation agreement, we handle it using your school’s existing template.
• If your school rejects your preceptor for any reason, or your preceptor cancels, choose either a full refund or a new preceptor.

What is a preceptor match?

A preceptor match is an agreement between you and a preceptor to work together for one clinical rotation. At Clinical Match Me, you have a match when you accept a preceptor’s offer.

Your school still has to approve the preceptor. Under the 2022 national standards for NP education, faculty approve every clinical placement, including preceptors that students find themselves. So whichever way you search, you need a preceptor who fits your specialty, your dates and your school’s requirements, within a distance you can travel.

How is preceptor matching different from searching on your own?

When you search on your own, the outreach is your responsibility. That means contacting practices one by one, waiting for replies and starting again each time a preceptor declines.

Nursing schools struggle to find preceptors too. In a June 2025 report, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing named insufficient clinical placement sites, faculty and preceptors among the primary barriers to accepting all qualified students.

With Clinical Match Me, it’s the other way around. Submit your placement requests and receive offers from preceptors who match your profile. Then compare offers, choose the best preceptor for your schedule and learning goals, and start your rotation.

How does preceptor matching work at Clinical Match Me?

Here’s each step, from signing up to your first day of clinicals.

How do you sign up?

Register on our NP preceptor matching platform. Free to join and no credit card required. Then complete your profile with your school and program.

What goes in a placement request?

A placement request tells preceptors what you need for one rotation. Submit one for each rotation, with:

• Your specialty, such as FNP, PMHNP or AGACNP
• Your rotation dates, from your start date to your end date
• The hours you need for the course
• Where you can do your rotation. Choose the states you’re willing to travel to, or enter your zip code and how far you’re willing to travel. We’ll match you with preceptors in those areas.

Before you submit, find out your school’s NP preceptor requirements, such as the credentials a preceptor must hold. Then you’ll know which offers your school will approve.

How do preceptors find your request?

Preceptors browse placement requests in their specialty and area and choose which students to send offers to. So each offer comes from a preceptor who wants to work with you. We verify preceptor credentials before matching.

Our AI preceptor outreach contacts qualified providers near you, even when there are no matching preceptors in our network. Read about how AI preceptor matching works for hard-to-fill rotations.

How do you compare offers?

You’ll typically receive multiple offers, a mix of flat and hourly rates, and you’ll see the price on each one before you accept. Compare them and choose whichever offer suits you best.

When do you pay?

Pay nothing until you accept an offer. You enter payment details only when you accept, and you can pay in full or choose a payment plan.

What happens after your preceptor match?

Next comes the paperwork. When you match with an NP preceptor through Clinical Match Me and your school requires an affiliation agreement, we handle it using your school’s existing template. If you’re not sure what an affiliation agreement is, our guide explains it.

You complete credentialing with your school and the facility. Once your school approves your preceptor, you’re ready to start your rotation.

What if your school rejects your preceptor?

You’re protected by our Money Back Guarantee. If your school rejects your preceptor for any reason, or your preceptor cancels, choose either a full refund or a new preceptor at no extra cost. Send us the rejection letter, and we’ll review it and check with the preceptor to make sure there’s no misunderstanding.

How much does a preceptor match cost?

Most preceptors charge a flat rate of $1,995 for rotations up to 140 hours, or $2,195 for rotations up to 250 hours. That price includes our fee and the preceptor’s honorarium (their compensation for teaching you), so you’ll never pay a separate fee to the preceptor.

A smaller group of preceptors offer hourly rates instead, and some preceptors charge more than the flat rate. For all but the shortest rotations, the flat rate is more affordable than hourly billing. Our standard rate is the same in every specialty, and payment plans are available. See every option on our NP preceptor cost page.

What makes a preceptor match more likely?

Preceptors send offers to the requests that fit their specialty, location and schedule. These steps make your request a good fit for more of them:

• Submit early. The sooner you submit your placement requests, the more preceptors will be available for your dates. Psych, acute care and women’s health rotations can be harder to fill, so try to request them as early as possible.
• Widen your area. Add more states, or increase how far you’re willing to travel from your zip code, so more preceptors can see your request.
• Keep your dates flexible. If your program allows it, choose the widest range of dates that works for you. A preceptor with a busy schedule may have room for a rotation that can start a little later or run a little longer.
• Complete your profile. Fill in your school and program details, since preceptors read them when they decide whom to send offers to.

Preceptor match: common questions

Is preceptor matching free?

Yes, until you choose your preceptor. Free to join and no credit card required. Pay nothing until you accept an offer.

How long does it take to find a preceptor match?

It depends on your specialty, your dates and how far you’re willing to travel. Many students receive their first preceptor offer within 24 hours of registering. Still, try to submit your placement requests as early as possible. The sooner you do, the sooner we can place you.

Do clinical preceptors get paid?

It depends on the arrangement. Preceptors who work with Clinical Match Me receive an honorarium (their compensation for teaching you) for every rotation, and it’s included in the price of your offer. We pay the honorarium when your rotation starts.

Who can use Clinical Match Me?

We place NP and PA students in every clinical specialty, and our students come from all 50 states. Students in other APRN tracks, such as CNM, CRNA and CNS programs, can submit placement requests too, and we’ll try to place them.

Can you request a specific preceptor?

Yes. Tell us which preceptor you’d like, and we’ll check whether they’re available and ask them to send you an offer.

What if none of your offers is right for you?

You decide which offer to accept. To receive more offers, widen your placement request with more states, a longer travel distance or more flexible dates. If you have questions, you can always reach a human and our support team is available 7 days a week.

How do you choose a preceptor matching service?

Before you sign up with any service, ask:

• How much will I pay, and does the price include the preceptor’s honorarium?
• Do I pay when I sign up, or only after I accept a preceptor?
• What happens if my school rejects the preceptor, or the preceptor cancels?
• Will I choose my preceptor, or will one be assigned to me?
• What do students say about the service on independent review sites?

For more help, read our guide to finding the best preceptor matching service for your situation.

Find your preceptor match with Clinical Match Me

Clinical Match Me is a nationwide preceptor placement service for NP and PA students in every clinical specialty. Our founder is a nurse practitioner who struggled to find a preceptor as a student, and since 2014 we’ve helped more than 10,000 students find preceptors in all 50 states.

Students have left us hundreds of 5-star reviews, and we hold an A+ BBB rating. Read our Clinical Match Me reviews to see how other students found their preceptors.

Free to join and no credit card required. Pay nothing until you accept an offer, and once you do, you’re protected by our Money Back Guarantee.

Sign up free and submit your first placement request today.