The study of medical sciences is not a purely intellectual exercise. Candidates for all degree programs within the School of Medicine (SOM) must possess the ability to learn, integrate, analyze, and synthesize data.
Students should have minimum physical, emotional, cognitive, and social capacities to complete all program requirements either directly or through reasonable accommodations.
Students must possess all of the abilities described in the five categories below, with or without reasonable accommodations as determined by the Student Disability Access Office. Fulfilling the technical standards of an individual program with reasonable accommodation does not guarantee that a graduate of the program will be able to meet the technical standards for employment, residency, or certification by a certifying board. Candidates with disabilities are encouraged to contact the program and/or the Student Disability Access Office early in the application process to discuss accommodation needs.
Observation
Candidates must acquire information as presented through demonstrations and experiences in lectures and laboratories. Candidates must be able to evaluate patients accurately and assess their relevant health, behavioral, and medical information. Candidates must be able to obtain and interpret information through a comprehensive assessment of patients, correctly interpret clinical data, accurately evaluate patients’ conditions and responses, and develop a diagnostic and treatment plan. Vision, hearing, and touch, or the functional equivalent, are required.
Communication
Candidates must exhibit interpersonal skills to enable effective patient care, including the ability to communicate effectively and sensitively in English with all members of a multidisciplinary healthcare team, patients, and those supporting patients, both in person and in writing. Candidates must be able to clearly and accurately record information and accurately interpret verbal and nonverbal communications.
Motor and Sensory Functions
Candidates must have adequate physical endurance, motor function, and sensory ability to be able to provide and/or direct the following:
- provision of general care and emergency treatment to patients
- performance of routine physical examination and diagnostic maneuvers
- performance of treatment maneuvers, which may include lifting, transferring of patients, and assisting during ambulation, while assuring their safety as well as the safety of the patient
- elicitation of information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion, and movement of limbs
Candidates must meet applicable relevant safety standards for the environment and follow universal precaution procedures.
Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities
Candidates must effectively interpret, assimilate, and understand the complex information required to function within the health professional programs of the SOM. Problem-solving is a critical skill that requires conceptual, integrative, and quantitative thinking abilities. The candidates must also be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and the spatial and functional relationships of structures, and to analyze and apply this information for problem-solving and decision-making. Candidates must be able to effectively participate in educational activities, whether online or in person, in individual and small group settings, across all learning environments. They must have the ability to organize, prioritize, analyze, and evaluate detailed and complex information individually, in small groups, in a clinical setting, and within a limited time frame, both in person and via remote technology. Candidates must be able to learn, participate, collaborate, and contribute as part of a team.
Behavioral and Social Skills
Candidates must exercise good judgment and promptly complete all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients. A candidate must possess the emotional health to fully utilize their intellectual abilities, exercise good judgment, and fulfill all responsibilities associated with the evaluation and treatment of patients. They must be honest, able to self-assess their own mistakes, respond constructively to feedback, and assume responsibility for maintaining professional behavior. The skills required include the ability to handle and manage heavy workloads effectively, function effectively under stress, adapt to changing environments, display flexibility, and learn to function in the face of the uncertainties inherent in the practice of their profession.
A candidate must be able to develop mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with faculty, patients, families, caregivers, and colleagues. A candidate must be able to tolerate physical and emotional stress, maintain alertness and wakefulness, and continue to function effectively. They must possess a high level of compassion for others, a strong motivation to serve, and integrity. They must behave ethically and morally consistent with professional values and standards. A candidate must possess sufficient interpersonal skills to interact positively and sensitively with all people.
Candidates must be able to satisfy the above requirements with or without reasonable accommodations. For questions about reasonable accommodations, see the Duke Accessibility website.