West Virginia University School of Medicine Outcomes for the Competent and Reflective Physician*

Preamble:

The West Virginia University (WVU) School of Medicine endeavors to educate physicians who can correctly diagnose medical problems, who can act on such diagnoses with care, compassion, understanding, and in the patient’s best interests in a moral and ethical fashion. Becoming a physician requires the earnest desire from students to learn and to think creatively because medicine is not the mere recitation of facts, but the application of vast amounts of information to solve complex problems. The medical student assumes responsibility for present and continued learning throughout one's professional career. It is the responsibility of the faculty to help the student to become a physician capable of practicing in any realm of medicine whether primary care, specialty practice, or academic medicine. To achieve this, the curriculum occurs in community and in ambulatory care settings as well as in the inpatient tertiary care setting.

The WVU School of Medicine acknowledges the work of the ACGME in developing its six core competencies and used them as a point of departure to develop the educational program objectives, below. These educational program objectives are tailored to WVU medical students and recognize the differences between the medical student and resident while maintaining a seamless transition from one phase of medical education to the next

With respect to each general competency area and the associated institutional educational learning objectives below, the graduating WVU medical student should be able to:

Patient Care: provide patient care as a learner that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health.

1. Gather essential and accurate information including, but not necessarily limited to, collecting a medical history, performing a physical exam, and ordering and interpreting appropriate investigative studies and diagnostic tests.
2. Make informed decisions based on patient information and preferences
3. Develop patient management plans
4. Counsel and educate patients and their families
5. Perform institutionally selected medical procedures
6. Provide care aimed at preventing health problems or maintaining health
7. Work with health care professionals to provide a patient-focus in preventive, acute, chronic, continuing, rehabilitative, and end-of-life care
8. Develop effective problem-solving, clinical-reasoning, and decision-making skills

Medical Knowledge: demonstrate knowledge of established and evolving biomedical, clinical, epidemiological and social-behavioral sciences, as well as the application of this knowledge to patient care.

1. Demonstrate investigatory and analytical thinking approaches
2. Learn and apply the basic, behavioral, social, economic, and clinically supportive sciences (including, but not necessarily limited to, Physiology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Embryology, Gross Anatomy, Histology, Medical Imaging, Neurobiology, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Microbiology, Immunology, Pathology, Pharmacology, Behavioral Science, Social and Economic Medicine, ethical and legal standards for health care, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Family Medicine, OB-GYN, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Neurology, and Anesthesiology).
3. Understand the basic scientific and ethical principles of clinical and translational research, including the ways in which such research is conducted, evaluated, explained to patients, and applied to patient care

Practice-Based Learning and Improvement: demonstrate the ability to investigate and evaluate their role in the care of patients, to appraise and assimilate scientific evidence, and to continuously improve their role in patient care based on constant self-evaluation and learning.

1. Locate, appraise and assimilate evidence from scientific studies including basic, clinical, translational, and community (population) based research
2. Apply knowledge of study designs and statistical methods to appraise studies.
3. Use information technology to manage information and support patient care decisions
4. Develop the skills necessary for lifelong learning
5. Identify strengths, deficiencies, and limits in one’s knowledge and expertise

Interpersonal and Communication Skills: demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients, their families, peers, and health professionals.

1. Communicate effectively with patients, families, physicians, peers, and other health professionals across a broad range of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds and demonstrate caring and respectful behaviors
2. Create and sustain a therapeutic and ethically sound relationship with patients
3. Use effective listening skills and effectively elicit and use information
4. Work effectively and responsibly with others as a member of a health care team
5. Write timely and legible student notes in medical records (including paper and EMRs)

Professionalism: demonstrate a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities and an adherence to ethical principles.

1. Demonstrate respect, compassion, integrity, responsiveness to needs of patients, society, and profession that supersedes self-interest
2. Demonstrate a commitment to ethical principles, including provision or withholding of care, confidentiality, informed consent, and respect for patient privacy and autonomy
3. Demonstrate sensitivity and responsiveness to a diverse patient population, including but not limited to diversity in culture, age, gender, race, religion, disabilities, sexual orientation, and health
4. Demonstrate timeliness and punctuality in the execution of learning and clinical duties.

Systems-Based Practice: demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care, as well as the ability to learn about other resources in the system to promote optimal health care.

1. Understand how one’s and others’ practice affects other health care professionals, health care organizations, and society
2. Learn the differences in types of health care practice and delivery systems, including controlling cost and allocating resources while not compromising quality
3. Advocate for quality patient care
4. Work in inter-professional teams to enhance patient safety and improve patient care quality

*Reviewed, modified, and approved by the MD Curriculum Committee and on 11-1-10.