Students should be able to communicate with patients and/or their caregivers for the purposes of eliciting information, detecting changes in affect, physical functioning, and establishing an effective physician-patient relationship. They should be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients, caregivers, and all members of the health care team in all manners of communication, including face-to-face, telephonic, and written. This skill requires students to possess English language proficiency and, if required, the proper use of assistive devices to facilitate language interpretation.

Students should possess the ability to perform a diagnostic evaluation of a patient, including the performance of physical examination maneuvers. They should be able to execute specific motor movements required to provide general care to patients and provide or direct the provision of emergent and urgent evaluation and management of patients. Such actions require coordination of both gross and fine muscular movements, gait, balance, and equilibrium.

Students should be able to assimilate detailed and complex information presented in both didactic and clinical coursework and engage in problem solving. They are expected to possess the ability to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, synthesize, and transmit information. In addition, they should be able to comprehend three dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures and to adapt to different learning environments and modalities.

Students should possess the emotional health required for full utilization of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients, and the development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients, family, caregivers, fellow students, faculty, and staff. They should be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads and function effectively under stress. They should also be able to adapt to changing environments, display flexibility, and learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of many patients. Compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, professionalism, interest, and motivation are all personal qualities that are expected during the education processes.

Students should maintain and display ethical and moral behaviors commensurate with the role of a physician in all interactions with patients, family, caregivers, faculty, staff, students, and the public. They are expected to understand the legal and ethical aspects of the practice of medicine and function within the law and ethical standards of the medical profession.

Students who have questions regarding our technical standards—or who believe they may need reasonable accommodations to meet these standards—are encouraged to contact the Medical Student Disability Officer. We also encourage every student to review the Student Handbook in full.