Technical standards all applicants and medical students in the MD program have to meet to participate in medical education and to practice medicine.

Technical Standards for Medical School Admission and Retention

All applicants and medical students are expected to meet the following criteria in order to participate in medical education at IU School of Medicine and to practice medicine.

  • Observation: Must be able to participate actively in all demonstrations and laboratory exercises in the basic medical sciences and to assess and comprehend the condition of all patients assigned to him or her for examination, diagnosis and treatment. Such observation and information acquisition usually requires the functional use of visual, auditory and somatic sensation.
  • Communication: Must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients in order to elicit information, describe changes in mood, activity and posture, assess non-verbal communications, and be able to effectively and efficiently transmit information to patients, fellow students, faculty, staff and all members of the health care team. Communication skills include speaking, reading and writing, as well as the observation skills described above.
  • Motor: Must have sufficient motor function to elicit information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion and other diagnostic maneuvers, be able to perform basic laboratory tests, possess all skills necessary to carry out diagnostic procedures and be able to execute motor movements reasonably required to provide general care and emergency treatment to patients.
  • Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities: Must be able to measure, calculate, reason, analyze and synthesize. Problem solving, the critical skill demanded of physicians, requires all of these intellectual abilities. In addition, the applicant/medical student must be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures. The applicant/medical student must have the capacity to perform these problem-solving skills in a timely fashion.
  • Behavioral and Social Attributes: Must possess the emotional health required for full utilization of his or her intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients, and the development of mature, sensitive and effective relationships with patients and others. Must also be able to tolerate taxing workloads, function effectively under stress, adapt to a changing environment, display flexibility and learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of many patients. Compassion, integrity, concern for others, commitment and motivation are personal qualities which each applicant/medical student should possess.

IU School of Medicine is committed to helping students with disabilities succeed academically. MD students in need of disability accommodations should apply to the IU School of Medicine Disabilities Accommodations Committee.