VP&S Technical Standards

Following are our policies regarding the essential abilities and characteristics required for students to successfully complete the MD program and provide safe and effective patient care.

Overview/Rationale: 

The Technical Standards for medical students at VP&S outline the essential abilities and characteristics required for students to successfully complete the MD program and provide safe and effective patient care. These standards ensure that all students possess the skills necessary to meet the academic and clinical demands of medical education, regardless of disability status, with or without reasonable accommodations. They serve to uphold the integrity of the medical profession and ensure that graduates are competent, ethical, and capable of performing the responsibilities expected of physicians. By clearly defining these expectations, the policy promotes transparency, and excellence in medical training. 

Students must possess the physical, cognitive, emotional, professional, and interpersonal abilities needed to complete the curriculum and graduate, with or without reasonable accommodations. Eligibility for admission is evaluated individually, considering the skills, attributes, and accommodations required to meet these standards, in alignment with federal, state, and institutional policies.   

These standards, set forth in more detail below, must be met throughout medical school in order to successfully progress through the medical school curriculum and graduate. As they are essential elements to completing a MD degree, all candidates for a degree must be able to complete the entire course of study and participate fully in all aspects of medical training, with or without reasonable accommodation, and these standards will be reviewed again at least at each phase of the curriculum. 

Accreditation Standards

LCME Accreditation Standard:

10.4 Characteristics of Accepted Applicants  

10.5 Technical Standards  

Stakeholders

Applicant, matriculants, students (M1-M4), faculty, Dean’s Office 

Ability to Meet VP&S Technical Standards 

Candidates for admission must review and verify their ability to meet the VP&S technical standards when completing the application for admission.  Candidates will be evaluated on a case-by-case individualized basis regarding their eligibility for admission, a process that examines and values all of the skills, attitudes, and attributes deemed necessary to safely and successfully complete the MD program. All candidates for admission, both those with and without disabilities, are expected to be competitive with others in the applicant pool with respect to academic, personal, and extracurricular achievements. In addition, we will review and verify with students at each curriculum phase transition (Fundamentals to Major Clinical Year and again at the start at Differentiation and Intergration). Nothing in these technical standards is meant to deter the application or participation of any student who might be able to complete the requirements of the MD curriculum with reasonable accommodations. In accordance with Columbia’s policies which, in turn, embody applicable federal, state, and local laws (e.g., the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act), the Medical School does not discriminate in admissions or educational programs against any individual on the basis of their disability or handicap. No otherwise qualified individual with a disability/handicap will be excluded from admission. However, the use of an intermediary that would, in effect, require a student to rely on another individual’s power of observation and/or communication is not considered a reasonable accommodation. Prospective and admitted students should be referred with questions to the Office of Disability Services (ODS) and the admissions committee makes the determination based on ODS’s recommendation. 

Responsibility 

Monitoring of the ability of a candidate or student to meet the technical standards is the responsibility of a continuum of student support and academic progress committees, the associate dean for student affairs support and services, faculty, and the medical student. If at any point an enrolled medical student ceases to meet the technical standards of Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, they should be referred with questions to ODS and a committee of the vice dean for education, associate dean for student affairs, support & services, senior associate dean for curricular affairs and the senior associate dean for admissions makes the determination based on ODS’s recommendation. 

Should, despite reasonable accommodation (whether the candidate chooses to use the accommodation or not), a candidate or student’s existing or acquired disability interferes with patient or peer safety, or otherwise impede the ability to complete VP&S’s undifferentiated program and advance to graduation, residency, training, or licensure, the candidate may be denied admission or may be separated, discontinued, or dismissed from the program. 

Definition of technical standards is required for the accreditation of U.S. medical schools by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME). The following abilities and characteristics are defined as technical standards, and are requirements for admission, retention, promotion, and graduation. 

 

I. Observation-Students capable of being ABLE to: 

  • Observe demonstrations and participate in scientific experiments, including but not limited to activities such as dissecting cadavers; examining specimens in anatomy, pathology, and neuroanatomy laboratories; microscopic studying of microorganisms and tissues (both in normal and pathological states); and review of diagnostic images and information; 

  • Accurately observe patients both directly and through indirect methods (at a distance and close at hand) and to process and assess their findings; 

  • Obtain and analyze medical history; 

  • Perform a full and complete physical examination of patients and subjects in order to integrate their findings with observations to develop, explain, and carry out appropriate diagnostic and treatment plans; 

  • Use the sense of vision and somatic sensation, which is enhanced by the functional use of the sense of smell. 

II. Communication-Students are capable of being ABLE to: 

  • Obtain medical history in a timely fashion; 

  • Perceive and interpret non-verbal communications, including facial expression, body language, and affect; 

  • Communicate efficiently, effectively, and accurately with patients, their families, and other members of the healthcare team; 

  • Communicate effectively and sensitively with patients and their families, establishing therapeutic relationships; 

  • Record information accurately and clearly; 

  • Communicate efficiently, effectively, and accurately in English with other healthcare professionals in a variety of patient and clinical settings. 

III. Motor-Students are capable of being ABLE to: 

  • Perform physical examination (e.g., eliciting information from patients via palpation, auscultation, and percussion), as well as successfully carry out diagnostic maneuvers; 

  • Respond to emergency situations in a timely fashion to provide general emergency care; 

  • Execute movements reasonably required to provide general medical care and emergency treatment to patients. These skills require coordination of gross and fine motor movements, equilibrium, and sensation; 

  • Manipulate equipment and instruments to perform basic laboratory tests and procedures as required to attain curricular goals (e.g., needles, stethoscope, ophthalmoscope, tongue blades, intravenous equipment, scalpel); 

  • Adhere to universal precaution measures and meet safety standards applicable to inpatient and outpatient settings and other clinical activities. 

IV. Intellectual/Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities-Students are capable of being ABLE to: 

  • Possess sufficient cognitive (mental) abilities and effective learning techniques to obtain, collect, memorize, analyze, integrate, process, and apply the volume of detailed and complex information presented by the curriculum; 

  • Learn through a variety of methods including, but not limited to, lectures; alternative classroom instruction; demonstrations; hands on experiences; small group, team, and collaborative discussions and efforts; individual study (including in clinical settings); preparation and presentation of reports; and use of technology; 

  • Perform calculations necessary to solve quantitative problems as required by the curriculum; 

  • Apply knowledge and reasoning to solve problems and make decisions as outlined by the curriculum; 

  • Recognize, comprehend, and draw conclusions about three dimensional spatial relationships of structures and logical sequential relationships among events; 

  • Formulate and test hypotheses that enable effective and timely problem-solving in diagnosis and treatment of patients in a variety of settings and clinical modalities; 

  • Remain awake and alert 

V. Behavioral, Emotional, and Social Attributes- students are capable of being ABLE to 

  • Possess the emotional stability and maturity to fully apply their intellectual skill, exercise good judgment, and complete all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients; 

  • Develop a mature, sensitive, and effective relationship with patients and colleagues; 

  • Tolerate the physical, mental, and emotional stress and long work hours experienced during training and patient care; 

  • Possess qualities of adaptability, flexibility, and the ability to function in the face of uncertainty; 

  • Form a compassionate relationship with their patients while maintaining appropriate boundaries for a professional relationship; 

  • Behave in a trustworthy and ethical and moral manner consistent with professional values and standards; 

  • Exhibit sufficient interpersonal skills, knowledge, and attitudes to interact positively and sensitively with people from all parts of society, ethnic backgrounds, and belief systems; 

  • Cooperate with others and work collaboratively as team members. 

VI. Professional Attributes- students are capable of being WILLING to: 

  • 3.1 Continually incorporates feedback and self-reflection to identify personal strengths and goals for growth 

  • Uphold ethical principles in all professional interactions, demonstrating honesty, fairness, and respect for different perspectives (MEPO 5.1)..  

  • A commitment to advocacy for patients and colleagues and leadership within the profession is essential (MEPO 5.1). 

  • Demonstrate reliability and responsiveness by meeting deadlines, fulfilling commitments, and owning the consequences of their action (MEPO 5.2).  

  • Demonstrate an awareness of the need for personal wellbeing and balance by recognizing the physical, emotional, and mental demands of medical training and proactively managing their personal health to sustain professional competence (MEPO 5.3) 

  • Actively seek, evaluate, and integrate feedback from peers, instructors, and patients to continually identify personal strengths and areas for improvement, fostering a mindset of lifelong learning and professional development (MEPO 3.1). 

  • Regularly set and reassess goals for personal and professional growth based on self-reflection and constructive feedback. 

  • Actively engage with peers, instructors, and the broader learning community to advance understanding and education, contributing to a culture of mutual support and shared knowledge (MEPO 4.3). 

  • Participate actively in the teaching and mentorship of peers and others in the learning environment, sharing their expertise and experiences to foster collective growth. 

  • Be able to share feedback with other members of the healthcare team in order to contribute to a practice of systems-thinking, safety, and continuous quality improvement (MEPO 6.1) 

  • Recognize personal biases and their impact on those around them and on patient care, and apply strategies to mitigate the effects of these biases  

(MEPO 7.1). 

  • Develop skills to act as allies to colleagues, patients, and communities, promoting equity and empowerment. (MEPO 7.2).  

VII.  Professionalism /Licensure Attributes 

Candidates must meet the legal standards for licensure to practice medicine in the State of New York. As such, candidates for admission must acknowledge and provide a written explanation of any felony offense or disciplinary action taken against them by another educational institution prior to matriculation in the Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. In addition, should the student be convicted of any felony offense while in medical school, the student must immediately notify the associate dean for student affairs of the nature of the conviction. Failure to disclose prior or new offenses can lead to disciplinary action, which may include dismissal, by the Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. 

 

If applicants, matriculants, and students are unable to meet the standards including professionalism noted above, their offer of admission may be revoked at any time up to the day of enrollment.