Competencies Required for Graduation -
University of Minnesota Medical School

Final Report of the Medical Student Clinical Skills Committee

Curriculum Committee Endorsement, October 4, 2002
Education Council Approval, November 19, 2002

Executive Summary

A list of skills to be required of students graduating from University of Minnesota Medical School beginning with the class of 2006 is presented below. They are grouped within the domains of Clinical Skills, Procedural Skills and Professionalism Skills. These skills are considered common, important and appropriate for students to demonstrate prior to entering residency.

All students will be given the opportunity to perform each of these skills on at least one occasion during medical school. Course directors, particularly of the Clinical courses of Years 1 & 2 and of the required courses in Years 3 & 4 and other personnel (such as Basic Life Support instructors) will oversee that students have demonstrated each skill.

We recognize that demonstration of a skill on one occasion does not imply competency or proficiency. Where competence is an objective of a given course, further opportunity to perform that skill a requisite number of times will be provided to the student.

We recognize that some medical school students will have limitations in their abilities and therefore may have difficulty in the performance of certain procedural skills. The clinical skills and professionalism skills are required for graduation. The listed procedural skills are considered expectations of our graduates and are not considered requirements for graduation. If a medical student is unable to personally perform any of these listed skills, for whatever reason, this will be noted on the student's academic record.

Download Full Report (15 pages)

Competencies to Master Throughout a Lifetime

Slide Presentation by David Leach, Excutive Director, ACGME

Synopsis of Required Competencies

Clinical Competencies

Communication Skills
Build rapport
Effective communication
Effective documentation
Comprehensive medical history
Provide basic patient education

Physical Examination Skills
Adult physical exam
Pediatric physical exam
Emergency-directed exam
Examination of adult with permanent disability
Examination of adult with common medical conditions

Patient Assessment Skills
Demonstrate problem solving skills
Formulate a clinical diagnosis
Interpret basic diagnosis tests

Patient Management Skills
Manage patients, as a member of the health care team

Procedural Skills

Personal Performance of Fundamental Skills
i.e., (throat swab, cerumen removal from ear, routine STD testing, peak flow meter use, venipuncture, vaginal speculum exam, PAP smear, normal spontaneous vaginal delivery, basic wound care, stool occult blood testing, sterile technique, universal precautions, injection of local anesthetic block, suture closure, foley catheter, temporary splint/cast, basic ventilator/ventilatory support, ‘ferning’ of amniotic fluid, microscopy of vaginal smear, nasogastric tube, gross external hemorrhage, basic burn care, cervical spine fracture, Basic Life Support, arterial puncture, intravenous cannula, central venous catheter, adult endotracheal tube, automated external defibrillator, manual external cardioversion, manage expstaxis, staining and examination of the eye)

Familiarity with Important More Complex Skills
(skin biopsy, upperGI endoscopy, lower GI endoscopy, exercise stress testing, endometrial biopsy, treat superficial abscess, use of laparoscopy, open abdominal surgery, perform injections, thoracentesis, insertion of arterial canula, Swan-Ganz catheter - Wave Forms)

Other Important, More Complex Skills