Essential and Desired Qualities

We are looking toward the future of medicine and the skills and knowledge our future physicians will need. Applicants to the University of Minnesota Medical School must demonstrate commitment to delivering compassionate and quality care, as well as a high degree of personal integrity and skill in communicating with diverse groups. They should be self-directed individuals who are committed to lifelong learning.

The essential and desired qualities for an ideal medical student are:

  1. Commitment to Improving the Human Condition.
    • Commitment to human service (essential): Sustained and meaningful commitment could be demonstrated by—but not be limited to—volunteer, work, or academic experiences.
    • Understanding of medicine (essential)
    • Commitment to care of the underserved (desired)
    • Commitment to community and global care (desired).
    • Commitment to rural care (desired in Twin Cities applicants, essential in Duluth applicants)
  2. Professional Conduct.
    • Honesty (essential): Honesty and integrity, particularly regarding instances of personal failings or mistakes, are essential for accountability.
    • Compassion (essential): Evidence could be provided by evaluations, prior employment, or experience in other roles that require compassion.
    • Self-awareness (essential): Students should know theirown strengths and weaknesses and know when to ask for help.
    • Ethical behavior (essential)
  3. Outstanding Interpersonal Skills.
    • Communication skills (essential): O ral and written communication skills must be excellent, both to share knowledge and to convey empathy.
    • Teamwork skills (essential): R equires acknowledging other team members’ expertise, accurate self-assessment, assuming leadership when appropriate, and subsuming individual interests to the work of the team.
    • Tolerance (essential)
    • Leadership experiences (desired)
    • Diversity experiences (desired)
  4. Effective Dedication to Lifelong Learning.
    • Intellectual curiosity (essential)
    • Scientific aptitude (essential): Students should demonstrate a fundamental appreciation of how the scientific method is applied to the discovery of medical knowledge and to medical practice.
    • Potential for academic success (essential)
    • Psychological resilience (essential): Emotional stability, skills to cope with stress, an ability to deal with sacrifice and hardship, maturity, good judgment, and an ability to defer gratification are needed
    • Creativity (desired)
    • Research experiences (desired; essential in M.D./Ph.D. applicants)