Competencies and Objectives for Medical Education
The following competencies and their associated educational objectives serve as a guide for curriculum development and evaluation of the success of the training program and its graduates:
Knowledge of the Basic Medical Sciences and Organ Systems
A graduate is expected to:
Know the normal structure and function of the body (as an intact organism) and of each of its major organ systems
Know the molecular, biochemical, and cellular mechanisms that are important in maintaining the body's homeostasis
Know the various causes (genetic, developmental, metabolic, toxic, microbiologic, autoimmune, neoplastic, degenerative, and traumatic) of maladies and the ways which they operate on the body (pathogenesis)
Know the altered structure and function (pathology and pathophysiology) of the body and its major organ systems that are seen in various diseases and conditions
Know the principles of pharmacology, therapeutics, and therapeutic decision-making.
Ability to Apply Clinical Skills in the Care of Patients
A graduate is expected to:
Obtain an accurate medical history that covers all essential aspects of the history, including issues related to age, gender, sexuality, and socio-economic status
Communicate with patients and their families in culturally appropriate ways regarding: sexuality and sexual function, domestic violence, substance abuse, financial obstacles to health, end-of-life issues, and other topics that materially affect patient well-being
Communicate clearly, both orally and in writing, with patients, patients' families, colleagues, and others with whom physicians must exchange information in carrying out their responsibilities
Conduct a thorough and accurate physical exam, including psychiatric, neurologic, genital, and orthopedic examinations in adults and children
Perform routine technical procedures used in medicine and surgery
Interpret the most frequent clinical, laboratory, roentgenologic, and pathologic manifestations of common maladies\
Reason deductively in solving clinical problems
Construct appropriate management strategies (both diagnostic and therapeutic) for patients with common conditions, both acute and chronic, including medical, psychiatric, and surgical conditions, and those requiring short- and long-term rehabilitation
Recognize and outline an initial course of management for patients with serious conditions requiring critical care
Appropriately relieve pain and ameliorate the suffering of patients
Promotion of Health Care That Appropriately Responds to Social, Cultural, and Health System Contexts within Which the Care Is Delivered
A graduate is expected to:
Demonstrate a commitment to advocate at all times for the interests of one's patients over one's own interests
Demonstrate an understanding of the manner in which people of diverse cultures and belief systems perceive health and illness and respond to various symptoms, diseases, and treatments
Demonstrate respect for the roles of other health care professionals and a willingness/commitment to collaborate with others in caring for individual patients and in promoting the health of defined populations
Demonstrate a commitment to provide care to patients who are unable to pay and to advocate for access to health care for members of traditionally underserved populations
Understand and work within existing healthcare systems, including the public health system, to provide optimal care for patients and communities
Understand the various approaches to the organization, financing and delivery of health care
Knowledge of the Foundations of Population and Evidence-based Medicine
A graduate is expected to:
Understand the important non-biological determinants of poor health and the economic, psychological, social, and cultural factors that contribute to the development and/or continuation of maladies
Know the epidemiology of common maladies and the systematic approaches useful in reducing the incidence and prevalence of those maladies
Understand the economic cost of health care and balance the obligation to fulfill the needs and wishes of individual patients with a societal obligation to practice efficient, evidence-based, and cost-effective medicine
Understand the power of the scientific method in establishing the causation of disease and efficacy of traditional and non-traditional therapies
Commitment to Ethics and Professionalism
A graduate is expected to:
Know the theories and principles that govern ethical decision making, and of the major ethical dilemmas in medicine, particularly those that rise at the beginning and end of life and those that arise from the rapid expansion of knowledge of genetics
Demonstrate compassionate treatment of patients, and respect for their privacy and dignity
Demonstrate honesty and integrity in all interactions with patients' families, colleagues, and others with whom physicians must interact in their professional lives
Understand the positive and negative consequences resulting from the involvement of corporations in health care delivery, scientific research, and medical products
Commitment to Personal and Professional Development
A graduate is expected to:
Demonstrate the capacity to recognize and accept limitations in one's knowledge and clinical skills and a commitment to continuously improve one's knowledge and ability
Demonstrate a commitment to engage in lifelong learning to stay abreast of relevant scientific, health care, and public health advances
Demonstrate the ability to retrieve (from electronic databases and other resources), manage, and utilize biomedical information for solving problems and making decisions that are relevant to the care of individuals and populations
Demonstrate a commitment to work collaboratively with colleagues in healthcare, research and leadership teams
Demonstrate a commitment to optimize patient safety by thoughtful selection and timing of interventions and collaborations with all members of the health care team
Demonstrate knowledge and proficiency in effective techniques for practice-based learning by individuals and system-wide improvements across the continuum of care
Demonstrate leadership in the various branches of medicine and the health sciences
Commitment to an Area of Scientific and/or Clinical Inquiry
A graduate is expected to:
Recognize unresolved clinical or scientific questions, formulate an hypothesis, and identify methods and resources to address this hypothesis
Conduct investigation in an area of interest related to patient care or scientific endeavor
\Understand the scientific theory and methodology that form the basis of medical discoveries
Understand the ethical requirements for laboratory, animal-based and patient-oriented scientific inquiry
Communicate new knowledge obtained from scientific inquiry responsibly and clearly