MD Program Program Objectives and Graduation Competencies

Drexel University College of Medicine Graduation Competencies

DUCOM Competency Patient Care (PC 1-11)

Trainees must be able to provide patient care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health in all patients across the lifespan.

PC-1: Demonstrate the ability to perform an accurate and thorough history, elucidating the biopsychosocial factors contributing to the onset and persistence of a patient’s illness.
PC-2: Perform a relevant, and accurate physical and mental examination.
PC-3: Choose diagnostic, management and therapeutic interventions based on sound reasoning in the context of evidence-based medicine.
PC-4: Describe the costs, benefits and potential harms of tests and procedures and treatments.
PC-5: Involve patients as active participants in the decision-making process and the care plan.
PC-6: Utilize appropriate family and community resources in caring for patients.
PC-7: Demonstrate the ability to participate in patient care to patients across a range of social backgrounds.
PC-8: Demonstrate the ability to collaborate effectively with all members of a health care team.
PC-9: Recognize personal limitations of knowledge and skills and seek help appropriately. PC-10: Recognize and initiate management of life-threatening conditions. PC-11: Perform common technical procedures accurately and safely. PC-12: Identify and address the relationship of psychosocial determinants of health.

Medical Knowledge (MK 1-10)

Trainees must demonstrate knowledge of established and evolving biomedical, clinical, epidemiological and social/behavioral sciences, as well as the application of this knowledge to patient care.

MK-1: Demonstrate basic knowledge of normal structure, development, and function of organ systems and the body as a whole in the context of health and disease.
MK-2: Identify the molecular, biochemical, and cellular mechanisms important in maintaining health and that contribute to pathophysiology of disease.
MK-3: Describe common disease entities, including their characteristic signs and symptoms, etiology, epidemiology, and pathophysiology.
MK-4: Identify mechanisms of mind-body interactions in health and disease.
MK-5: Identify determinants of poor health, including the economic, psychological, social, and cultural factors that contribute to its development and/or continuation.
MK-6: Delineate interventions available for relieving pain and suffering.
MK-7: Select, justify, and interpret appropriate clinical tests and diagnostic procedures with attention to benefits, harms and cost.
MK-8: Develop and explain a prioritized differential diagnosis and an appropriate clinical management plan based on a sound knowledge of pathophysiology.
MK-9: Utilize the basic concepts of evidence-based medicine to analyze the biomedical literature.
MK-10: Demonstrate knowledge of the ethical, moral and legal foundations of medical care.

Practice-Based Learning and Improvement (PBLI 1-5)

Trainees must demonstrate the ability to investigate and evaluate their care of patients, to appraise and assimilate scientific evidence, and to improve patient care based on constant self evaluation and life-long learning.

PBLI-1: Demonstrate the ability to identify strengths and weaknesses in knowledge and skills and routinely seek opportunities to address deficits.
PBLI-2: Use evidence-based clinical guidelines in patient care.
PBLI-3: Demonstrate the ability to give and receive constructive feedback.
PBLI-4: Evaluate emerging technologies, study design, methods and results as they apply to current best practice.
PBLI-5: Be able to identify elements of safety and quality improvement in patient care programs.

Interpersonal and Communication Skills (ICS 1-8)

Trainees must demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients, their families, and other health professionals.

ICS- 1: Demonstrate effective and appropriate verbal and nonverbal techniques to elicit a patient history.
ICS-2: Organize, prioritize, document and present medical information effectively.
ICS-3: Give and receive a patient handover to transition care responsibly.
ICS-4: Communicate effectively with physicians, other health professionals, and health-related agencies.
ICS-5: Demonstrate the ability to obtain informed consent for tests and/or procedures.
ICS-6: Use effective communication skills to educate patients and families, and to counsel them to modify health risk behaviors.
ICS-7: Communicate effectively with patients and families, across a broad range of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.
ICS-8: Communicate effectively in difficult situations, for example giving bad news, communicating adverse events and working with distressed patients and their family members.

Professionalism (PR 1-8)

Trainees must demonstrate adherence to ethical principles, development of physician attributes, and commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities.

PR-1: Uphold the primacy of patient welfare with particular attention to patients who are medically, psychologically or socially vulnerable.
PR-2: Apply principles of respect for persons, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice, and work to resolve ethical dilemmas as they arise in clinical practice.
PR-3: Demonstrate a commitment to social justice, including stewardship of healthcare resources, health of the community and care for the underserved.
PR-4: Show commitment to cultivation of empathy and compassion.
PR-5: Demonstrate attention to self-care and work-life balance.
PR-6: Demonstrate skills of reflective practice and self-regulation of cognitive and emotional reactions in the service of patient care.
PR-7: Demonstrate confidentiality, integrity, reliability, flexibility, timeliness, and responsibility in interactions with patients, families, and all members of the health care team.
PR-8: Maintain a professional image in behavior and dress, including responsible use of social media, and webbased communications/presence.

Systems-Based Practice (SBP 1-4)

Trainees must demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care, as well as the ability to call effectively on other resources in the system to provide optimal health care.

SBP-1: Describe strengths and limitations of major organizational models of health care delivery and reimbursement systems.
SBP-2: Demonstrate the ability to access and utilize available community resources beneficial in caring for patients.
SBP-3: Identify the impact of public health policies and interventions on the health of individuals and community.
SBP-4: Identify systems errors and potential systems solutions that will contribute to improved care and patient safety.

Graduation Requirements for the MD Degree

The faculty of Drexel University College of Medicine will confer the MD degree on students who have met the objectives of the MD program as stated above. Students must successfully complete and pass all required coursework in all four years of study within no more than six academic years from the date of matriculation.

Students must meet the requirements set forth in the College of Medicine technical standards.

Students must take and earn a passing score on Steps 1, 2 and 2CK of the USMLE.

The judgment of the faculty as to the fitness of a student for the MD degree is based not only on scholastic achievement, but also upon evidence of the student’s character and professionalism. Lapses of professional behavior, failure to meet other requirements, or consistently marginal performance may result in an assessment by the Promotions Committee that the overall performance of the student is insufficient to be granted the MD degree.

In order to receive a diploma, students must have met all financial obligations to Drexel University College of Medicine, and completed an exit interview with the Office of University Student Financial Aid.