Technical Standards for MSUCOM Admissions

The College of Osteopathic Medicine requires that all candidates for the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree meet the following technical standards for admission and participation in its program.  The technical standards can be broken into five categories of required skills:  observation; communication; motor; intellectual – conceptual, integrative, and quantitative abilities; and behavioral and social attributes.

I.         Observation:  The candidate must be able to observe demonstrations and experiments in the basic sciences, including but not limited to anatomic, physiologic, and pharmacologic demonstrations, as well as microbiologic cultures and microscopic studies of micro-organisms and tissues in normal and pathologic states.  A candidate must be able to observe a patient accurately at a distance and close at hand.  Observation necessitates the functional use of the sense of vision and somatic sensation.  It is enhanced by the functional use of the sense of smell. 

II.        Communication:  A candidate must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients.  A candidate must be able to elicit information from patients, describe changes in mood, activity and posture and perceive nonverbal communications.  Communication includes; verbal communication, as well as reading, writing and the use of electronic communication devices.  The candidate must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in oral, written, and electronic form with all members of the health care team.

III.      Motor:  Candidates must have sufficient motor function to elicit information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion, and other diagnostic maneuvers.  The motor skill of palpation is important in the total osteopathic diagnostic process and especially to the development of the art of osteopathic palpatory diagnosis and treatment of the neuromusculoskeletal system.  Accordingly, it is required that students have direct physical contact in clinical teaching situations with faculty, fellow students, and live models of both genders.

A candidate must be able to do basic laboratory tests (urinalysis, CBC, etc.), carry out diagnostic procedures (proctoscopy, paracentesis, etc.), and read EKG’s and radiologic images.  A candidate must be able to execute motor movements reasonably required to provide general care and emergency treatment to patients.  Examples of emergency treatment reasonably required of physicians are cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the administration of intravenous medication, the application of pressure to stop bleeding, the opening of obstructed airways, the suturing of simple wounds, and the performance of simple obstetrical maneuvers.  Such actions require coordination of both gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium and functional use of the senses of touch and vision.

IV.       Intellectual – Conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities:  Candidates must have the abilities of measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis and synthesis.  Problem solving, the critical skill demanded of physicians, requires all of these intellectual abilities.  In addition, the candidate must be able to comprehend three dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures.

V.        Behavioral and Social Attributes:  A candidate must possess the emotional health required for full utilization of his/her intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis, and the development for mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients.  Candidates must be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads and to function effectively under stress.  They must be able to adapt to changing environments, to display flexibility, and to learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of many patients.  Compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest and motivation are all personal qualities that are assessed during the admissions and education processes.

Michigan State University is committed to making its programs accessible to qualified individuals with disabilities.  Reasonable accommodations may be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities in order to provide equal educational opportunity.  Depending on the individual circumstance, an accommodation might be provided through the use of technology or trained intermediaries.  However, use of a trained intermediary means that a candidate’s judgment must be mediated by someone else’s power of selection and observation, which may be inappropriate in certain circumstances.  In all circumstances, candidates must be able to meet the academic and technical standards requisite for admission and participation in the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree program. 

Adopted from the AAMC Special Advisory Panel on Technical Standards for Medical School Admission.  Approved for transmittal to all medical schools by the AAMC Executive Council on January 18, 1979.  Amended by Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine Admissions Committee, September 24, 1997.  Amended by Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine Admissions Committee, March 1, 2006.