Preceptor Spotlight April 2024
Elizabeth Ricciardi, DO, MS

Dr Elizabeth Ricciardi, DO, MS of Evanston, WY, has mentored upwards of 40 students a year in Behavioral Health at Wyoming State Hospital and provides wonderful teaching experiences for each student. A disciplined eater, she and her husband enjoy cooking and entertaining in their home. She shares some of what makes her rotations so coveted below.

"I believe that the most important skill a preceptor must have to be successful is patience. The first few weeks can be challenging for preceptors as they must provide constructive critiques without dampening the student’s spirit. One must have patience and flexibility in navigating these situations.”

“Over the years, I have been able to set up a structured environment that allows for collaboration and teamwork.  Providing a collegial and convivial setting also allows for friendships and networking to occur, which I believe is quite important, especially after Covid–19.  Further, on day one of their rotation, the students are provided an orientation to the hospital setting and expectations for the month.  This includes patient presentations as well as student-initiated daily didactic lessons.  There are no surprises in this rotation and the guidelines are clear.  Most importantly, the students understand that this is an environment in which they are allowed to learn from their mistakes as well as have fun.  We laugh often, providing for a positive mental health environment.”

Quotes from RVUCOM Students

"Dr. Ricciardi is a fantastic preceptor. She set clear goals for students, always made time to teach, and kept her students safe whenever there was potential for danger. I absolutely loved this rotation and would highly recommend her to other students.”

"Dr. Ricciardi was the best preceptor I could have asked for. She challenged me and helped me grow as a professional while supporting me. I can't say enough good things about her. She provided an environment that required hard work, but it was always for the betterment of the students and the patients. She had me present on common conditions almost every day in clinic and turned learning opportunities into discussions rather than lectures. I felt like a valued member of the care team. I learned so much, but honestly the best part was that with her help, I've gained confidence in my abilities. I've gained confidence not only in my clinical skills, but in my ability to learn new things on the fly and to not be afraid of making mistakes. Thanks to Dr. Ricciardi's mentorship, I will be more comfortable showing initiative in trying new things and I will not only be a better clinical student, but I will be a better doctor in the long term. I genuinely cannot adequately express how fantastic Dr. Ricciardi was as a preceptor because words don't do my experience justice.”

“Her kindness, compassion, listening was unmatched. She challenged me to come up higher in these areas. I loved our discussions and her advice.”

“Dr. Ricciardi is an amazing preceptor, she always made sure we felt comfortable talking to patients in the hospital as well as she helped me expand my knowledge of psychiatry through presentations, discussions on patient cases and progress notes."

“Dr. Ricciardi was an excellent resource to students if we had any questions about psychiatry or even life! She was a straight shooter to us and was brutally honest when necessary. She challenged me to work hard but reiterated the importance of self-care in the field which I appreciated.”