Technical standards or essential abilities are academic performance requirements that refer to those physical, cognitive, and behavioral abilities required for satisfactory completion of all aspects of the medical curriculum and the development of personal attributes required by the completion of the medical school curriculum.
In addition to technical standards, a medical student must demonstrate ethical standards and the professional demeanor in interaction with peers, faculty, staff, patients, and their families. Students should be able to perform the essential functions listed with or without reasonable accommodation under the . Long School of Medicine students or applicants who have questions about accommodations should contact the for more information.
The Long School of Medicine provides reasonable accommodation to support qualified students. Reasonable accommodations may include and are not limited to technological adaptations or trained intermediaries, such as interpreters, who facilitate without supplanting the student’s performance of an essential skill. These technical standards are listed below and can be found here.
By accepting an invitation to interview, and by accepting an offer of acceptance, a student is acknowledging that they have read these Technical Standards and can meet these standards, with or without reasonable accommodations. Once matriculated, if a student is unable to meet these technical standards with reasonable accommodations, the student may not be able to successfully meet the requirements of a medical degree.
Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities
The successful medical student will:
- Comprehend and retain factual knowledge from readings and didactic presentations.
- Independently gather information.
- Analyze and synthesize learned material.
- Apply information to clinical situations.
Observational Skills
The successful medical student will:
- Have sufficient sensory abilities in order to support the procurement of a medical history and performance of the physical examination.
- Understand that the diagnosis and delivery of patient care involves the sensory abilities of sight, hearing, smell and touch, and understand that sensory abilities naturally vary among people.
- Exhibit the ability to achieve these goals using their available modalities.
Communication Skills
The successful medical student will:
- Effectively communicate with patients and their families in person, in writing, and by other means available to the medical student
- Gather detailed and complex information appropriately.
- Explain medical information in a patient-centered manner.
- Listen effectively recognizing, acknowledging, responding to emotions, and exhibiting sensitivity to social and cultural differences.
- Communicate effectively and work cooperatively with all other health care team members for the good of the patient.
Physical Abilities and Motor Skills
The successful medical student will:
- Have sufficient physical dexterity to master the technical and procedural aspects of patient care.
- Exhibit sufficient strength to perform the essential duties.
- Display adequate physical stamina and energy to carry out taxing duties over long hours for the care of patients.
- Be able to understand and direct the methodology involved in such activities, if unable to independently perform these activities.
Emotional, Behavioral, and Social Skills
The successful medical student will:
- Display emotional maturity and stability to function effectively under the stress that is inherent in medicine. Adapt and function proficiently in unpredictable circumstances or situations that change rapidly.
- Effectively communicate with patients and their families in person, in writing, and by other means available to the medical student.
- Gather detailed and complex information appropriately.
Ethics and Professionalism
The successful medical student will:
- Display compassion, empathy, altruism, integrity, responsibility, and tolerance in all settings.
- Employ sound judgment in the practice of medicine.
- Commit to and exemplify the ideals of the profession of medicine and the community of health care professionals with whom they serve.
- Explain medical information in a patient-centered manner.
- Listen effectively recognizing, acknowledging, responding to emotions, and exhibiting sensitivity to social and cultural differences.
- Communicate effectively and work cooperatively with all other health care team members for the good of the patient.