Educational Competencies
School of Medicine Educational Mission Statement & Competencies
The primary goal of the School of Medicine at Stony Brook University is to educate caring and skilled physicians who are well-prepared to enter graduate and specialty training programs. Graduates understand, value and apply the scientific method in the solution of clinical problems. They integrate clinical, biomedical and behavioral knowledge to promote the health and well-being of patients and communities. They value lifelong learning and locate, evaluate critically and integrate new scientific and clinical findings that advance the practice of medicine. They provide highly competent and compassionate, patient-centered care while demonstrating the highest level of professionalism and sensitivity to the diverse personal and cultural contexts in which medical care is delivered. These goals are also embraced by our graduate and specialty training programs that are designed to educate medical specialists and researchers in the biomedical and clinical sciences to be well-prepared to advance the frontiers of research, clinical practice and education.
• Effective Communication
Graduates establish the rapport necessary to sustain effective personal and professional relationships. They actively and empathically listen to patients, families, health-care team members, professional colleagues and the wider community. They communicate effectively with these constituencies verbally and in writing. They respect the personal values and the range of cultural, social and economic backgrounds among those they serve.
• Institutional Objectives:
Upon graduation the students will be able to:
A) Demonstrate effective written communication skills in informal and formal communications such as descriptive reports, position papers, narratives, research papers, correspondence and case studies.
B) Demonstrate effective written communication skills of the medical encounter such as documentation of comprehensive patient history, physical examination, differential diagnosis and management plan and patient notes.
C) Demonstrate effective oral and interactive communication skills in one-on one settings such as interviewing or history taking with an individual patient and interactions with supervising faculty, other trainees or allied health professionals or faculty member.
D) Demonstrate effective skills in oral and interactive communication in the context of small groups, such as patient conferences, rounds in the hospital or small group discussions in seminars, in a small group participatory learning sessions.
E) Demonstrate effective oral and interactive communications in contexts of formal presentations, such as at professional conferences or in settings with patients where communications may involve barriers or difficult subjects.
• Professionalism, Ethics, and Personal Values
Graduates demonstrate an understanding of the ethical dimension of medical practice. They are able to identify alternatives in difficult ethical dilemmas, analyze the conflicting considerations and effectively carry out a chosen course of action. They appreciate their obligations to patients, the profession and society. They exhibit altruism, fidelity, respect, compassion, duty, honor, integrity and a commitment to excellence.
• Institutional Objectives:
Upon graduation the students will be able to:
A) Articulate the meaning of professionalism, the professional tradition, professional ethics, and biomedical ethics and manifest these qualities in themselves and promote them in others.
B) Describe professional virtues and behaviors, including altruism, fidelity, respect, compassion, duty, honor, integrity, and a striving for excellence, and manifest these qualities in themselves and promote them in others..
C) Use mature moral reasoning and judgment to evaluate, render and defend decisions regarding patient care and health policies.
D) Show professionalism, compassion, integrity, honesty, respect, responsibility and sensitivity in meeting obligations to patients, colleagues and the community.
• Self-awareness, Self-care, and Self Improvement Competency
Graduates approach the practice of medicine as reflective physicians utilizing awareness of their personal attitudes, reactions, strengths, limitations and vulnerabilities to improve their practice. They nurture their own well-being, develop adaptive coping strategies, and balance the demands of professional and personal life. They actively seek help and advice when needed and respond appropriately to feedback.
• Institutional Objectives:
Upon graduation the students will be able to:
A) Recognize, practice, demonstrate and model the use of self awareness as a reflective skill important to him/ her as learner, team member and promoter of patient-centered care.
B) Nurture his/her own well-being, develop adaptive coping strategies, and balance the demands of professional and personal life.
C) Actively seek help and advice when needed and respond appropriately to feedback.
• Medical Knowledge
Graduates learn, integrate and use foundational knowledge that is relevant to the practice of medicine and drawn from the biomedical, clinical, social and behavioral sciences and humanities. They comprehend, value, and apply the scientific method. From their understanding of emerging scientific findings they solve clinical problems and participate in the generation of new knowledge that will benefit patient care.
• Institutional Objectives:
Upon graduation the students will be able to:
A) Describe the structure of the human body at the macroscopic and microscopic levels. Explain the biochemical, genetic, molecular, physiologic and cellular mechanisms and pathways that govern the functions of the body and its major organ systems.
B) Cultivate an understanding of developmentally determined similarities and differences that pertain to normal and pathological anatomic, physiologic and psychosocial processes across all the stages of life, from the infant in utero to advanced old age.
C) Explain the developmental, metabolic, toxicological, microbiologic, immune, neoplastic, degenerative and traumatic conditions that underlie disease. Explain the specific ways in which they disrupt function and govern disease pathogenesis.
D) Appreciate both the value and the limitations of the scientific method (when executed with proper rigor in laboratory, translational, clinical and other contexts) to establish the causes of disease and the efficacy of established or experimental therapies.
E) Utilize skills of life-long learning, acquire an increasingly sophisticated understanding of the genetics behind disease and effective disease treatment. Ground this understanding in findings now emerging from population studies, the Human Genome Project, the genomes of disease-causing organisms, structural and computational biology, metabolomics and pharmacogenomics.
F) Integrate medical knowledge from multiple body systems, and from basic and clinical science disciplines, to form a rational basis for the development of competence in diagnosis, management and prevention of disease. Be able to refine the disease model continuously and rationally as new diagnostic information appears.
G) Identify, and practice as far as is possible, the principal contributors to good health and disease prevention, as they are presently understood. These should include nutrition, exercise, healthy sleep, well-informed parenting, and avoidance of toxic substances and stress, as well as other rational preventative measures as they receive proper scientific validation.
• Clinical Skills
Graduates are proficient in history-taking and examination skills across a wide spectrum of patient care encounters. Graduates correctly select and proficiently perform routine clinical procedures, properly utilize ancillary services and accurately interpret results.
• Institutional Objectives:
Upon graduation the students will be able to:
A) Demonstrate mastery, completeness, organization and interpersonal skill in electing full and accurate patient histories.
B) Perform a comprehensive physical, functional and mental status exam using correct application of techniques, (e.g., inspection, palpation) and tools, (e.g., stethoscope, otoscope).
C) Correctly describe, interpret and assess patterns of findings from H and P in health, disease states and over time and recognize patients with immediate life threatening conditions.
D) Skillfully and correctly perform routine and more procedural skills; Be aware of their indications, complications and limitations.
E) Skillfully apply, assess and interpret raw data, written reports and other outcomes of commonly performed diagnostic tests. Be able to determine the priority in which diagnostic procedures/ tests should be requested in clinical situations and be aware of their indications, complications and limitations.
• Prevention, Diagnosis and Management
In collaboration with individuals, families, communities and the health care team, graduates help prevent, diagnose, and manage common health problems. Graduates develop problem lists, formulate differential diagnoses, establish outcome goals and generate treatment plans. Graduates select and carry out additional investigations, choose and implement interventions with consultation and referral as needed. Graduates monitor clinical progress and adjust therapy and diagnosis accordingly.
• Institutional Objectives:
Upon graduation the students will be able to:
A) Integrate preventive interventions into the comprehensive health care of individuals and community using principles of evidence-based medicine to identify causes of morbidity and mortality. Complete database searches of topics of general disease prevention, epidemiology, diagnosis and management and integrate preventive interventions (e.g., immunizations) into the comprehensive health care and education of patients and communities.
B) Correctly gather and use data from history, physical exam, laboratory to diagnose common disease patterns and clinical problems of individuals and community using multiple resources. Use population data to assess potential for epidemic, endemic and other risks to community.
C) Manage common problems health problems of individual patients and community and take advantage of opportunities for prevention and education that complement the management of illness provided in the context of patient care. Using evidence from the literature exhibit clinical decision analysis that weighs the risks and benefits of proposed interventions.
• Problem-solving
Graduates recognize clinical, scientific and social problems. Graduates employ rational decision-making processes in combination with other skills. They include patients in these processes and address their needs using the best evidence available.
• Institutional Objectives:
Upon graduation the students will be able to:
A) Apply an expanding knowledge base to the accurate identification of a problem. Recognize and organize basic relationships among problem elements, their limitations, relevance and uncertainty. Test and apply their goodness of fit of in clinical decision making.
B) Accurately organize data to develop a set of hypothesis. Generate, prioritize and critique a differential diagnosis list and construct a diagnostic and/or therapeutic action plan.
C) Demonstrate applicable quantitative thinking in reaching conclusions about clinical cases. Implement a plan of action in collaborative effort with the patient and assess its success and re-evaluate the original hypothesis when necessary or required.
• Lifelong Learning
Graduates are committed to independent lifelong learning. They use critical thinking skills to evaluate and interpret new clinical and scientific information. They keep abreast of advances in medical knowledge and integrate these into patient care activities. They foster their professional growth through continuing education, use of evolving technologies and medical information resources, and participation in research. Graduates actively set clear personal and professional learning goals, pursue them, and apply the knowledge gained to the practice of their profession.
• Institutional Objectives:
Upon graduation the students will be able to:
A) Understand quantitative and qualitative scientific research methods and have the ability to critically appraise the clinical literature, its validity and applicability to one's professional decisions
B) Demonstrate regular practice of locating and using appropriate information resources, identify and avoid sources of medical error and of independently acquiring and applying scientific knowledge to provide appropriate treatment.
• Social and Community Contexts of Healthcare
Graduates provide patient care and education that reflects an awareness of the cultural, psychological, sociologic, familial, economic, environmental, legal, political and spiritual needs and beliefs of patients. They utilize the principles of public health in assessing the needs of their patients and communities. Graduates use their knowledge, skills and attitudes in this domain to better identify and respond to the needs of individuals and their communities.
• Institutional Objectives:
Upon graduation the students will be able to:
A) Appreciate the importance of all factors that may influence health, disease, disability and access to care, in addition to biological factors.
B) Utilize appropriate resources in the community to promote health, prevent disease and manage illness.
C) Act as an advocate for better health for patients and the community.
• Systems-based Practice
Graduates respond to the larger context and system of healthcare. They have the ability to recognize the resources needed to provide optimal and safe patient care. Graduates demonstrate an understanding of different medical practice models and delivery systems. They demonstrate cost-effective care and efficient resource allocation while providing quality care. They audit and evaluate their own practice patterns.
• Institutional Objectives:
Upon graduation the students will be able to:
A) Respond to the larger context and system of health care.
B) Has the ability to recognize and utilize the resources needed to provide optimal and safe patient care.
C) Demonstrate an understanding of different medical practice models and delivery systems.
D) Demonstrate cost-effective care and efficient resource allocation while providing quality care.
E) Audit and evaluate his/her own practice patterns.
