Background

Attainment of the Medical Doctor (MD) degree signifies that its holder is a competent and compassionate physician who is capable of pursuing and completing residency training, passing licensing examinations, and maintaining medical licensure. Matriculants to the School of Medicine are expected to complete the full MD curriculum and must ultimately be able to assume the responsibility of safely and ethically providing care to patients. Because graduates of medical school must be prepared to assume care for patients in a wide variety of clinical disciplines, the education for the MD degree is, by necessity, broad in nature. An avowed intention to practice only a narrow part of the curriculum does not alter the requirement that all students take the full curriculum. Candidates for the MD degree must meet certain minimum physical, cognitive, mental, and emotional abilities to ensure that they are able to fully participate in all aspects of medical training with or without reasonable accommodations.

To ensure that students in the School of Medicine attain the desired level of competence, the faculty has established educational objectives. These are listed in the UCISOM Student Handbook. In order to attain these objectives, the faculty of the School of Medicine has determined that prospective and enrolled students must demonstrate an ongoing record of academic achievement for matriculation, promotion and graduation. They must also demonstrate the ability to meet a predetermined set of observation, motor (examination, diagnostic, and procedural skills) communication, intellectual (conceptual, integral, integrative, quantitative), ethical/professional, social, and behavioral abilities described below as technical (or non-academic) standards.

Intellectual Abilities (Conceptual, integral, integrative, and quantitative)

A candidate for the MD degree (a prospective or enrolled student) must have sufficient intellectual cognitive capacities to assimilate a large volume of technically detailed and complex information presented through formal lectures, small group discussions, individual teaching sessions, clinical teaching sessions and independent learning activities. They must be able to critically analyze such information, to identify relevant material and appropriately apply such material to solve problems in a timely and effective manner. A candidate must be able to measure, calculate, analyze and synthesize data, appreciate three-dimensional spatial relationships among structures, and logical sequential relationships among events. They must also be able to form and test hypotheses.

Observation

A candidate for the MD degree must be able to acquire a defined level of information as presented through demonstrations and experiential activities in the basic sciences including but not limited to anatomic dissections, microscopic examination of tissues and microbial organisms and physiologic and pharmacological demonstrations in animals. They must also be able to accurately observe a patient at a distance and close at hand, acquire information from written documents and visualize information presented in images from paper, films, slides or video. A candidate must be able to interpret radiological images, and other digital or analog graphic representations of anatomic, physiologic or pathologic data (such as ECGs). Such observation and information acquisition requires the functional use of visual, auditory, and somatic sensory functions, or the functional equivalent.

Motor Abilities (Examination, diagnostic, and procedural skills)

A candidate for the MD degree must after a reasonable period of training and experience, possess the capacity to perform physical examination and diagnostic maneuvers. They must be able to respond to emergency situations in a timely manner and provide or direct general emergency care. Such activities require physical mobility, coordination of both gross and fine motor neuromuscular function, and balance and equilibrium.

Communication Abilities

Candidates must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently with patients, their families, and members of the health care team. They must be able to obtain a medical history in a timely fashion, interpret non-verbal aspects of communication, and establish therapeutic relationships with patients. Candidates must be able to record information accurately and clearly; and communicate effectively with other health care professionals in a variety of patient settings.

Behavioral and Social Abilities

A candidate for the MD degree must possess the emotional health, maturity, discipline, and professional attributes necessary for the competent practice of medicine. Certain characteristics are particularly crucial to the attainment of this competence. They include but are not limited to integrity, honesty, attendance and conscientiousness, empathy, a sense of altruism, ability to accept feedback, and a spirit of cooperation and teamwork. The candidate for the MD degree must accept responsibility for learning, and exercise good judgment. They must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads, function effectively under stress, adapt to changing environments, display flexibility, and manage the uncertainty inherent in the care of patients. The candidate for the MD degree must not have any active untreated alcohol or substance abuse related conditions. The candidate must be able and willing to be physically present for all required educational activities.

Ethical and Legal Standards

Candidates should maintain and display ethical behaviors commensurate with the role of a physician in all interactions with patients, faculty, staff, students, and the public. Candidates 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.

Safety

Should a candidate for the MD degree pose a direct threat to the health or safety of patients or others, they may be denied admission or dismissed from the School of Medicine.

EVALUATION AND DETERMINATION OF ADHERENCE TO THE TECHNICAL STANDARDS

All students entering and continuing in the School of Medicine must meet all of the technical standards, with reasonable accommodation if necessary, and each student will be expected to certify that they meets these standards. The School of Medicine or the Disability Services Center may require that a candidate for the MD degree undergo an evaluation by a school-identified physician to ascertain whether these technical standards can be met with reasonable accommodation, if necessary.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Applicants and students should contact the Disability Services Center, if they have any questions about reasonable accommodations. Students with disabilities who require accommodation shall register with the Disability Services Center. Students who fail to register with the Disability Services Center, or fail to provide necessary documentation, shall not be considered to be claiming or receiving accommodations under the federal or state disability laws.

The Disability Services Center shall work with applicants with disabilities or students who request accommodation. The Disability Services Center shall make recommendations to the Associate Dean for Students concerning reasonable accommodations.

The Associate Dean for Students shall be responsible for administering this policy and determining whether a reasonable accommodation can be provided without fundamentally altering the School’s academic standards and that the accepted or matriculated student can meet the Technical Standards with the accommodation.

The Chair of the School of Medicine Faculty Senate Executive Committee shall appoint an ad hoc Committee on Technical Standards to consider appeals concerning an alleged failure to reasonably accommodate an accepted or matriculated student with a disability. The Committee shall be comprised of two clinical SOM faculty, two pre-clinical SOM faculty, and one staff person knowledgeable of the disability laws and policies. The ad hoc Committee shall be appointed within five working days after the Chair of the Executive Committee receives notice of the appeal.

Last approved by SOM Committee on Promotions and Honors: May 6, 2024