Professionalism

UCSF graduates will have a capacity for self-evaluation and moral reflection to sustain a lifetime of responsible, collegial, and compassionate practice of medicine.

Students will:

• Treat patients with compassion and respect, and with sensitivity to their individuality;
• Apply the principles of honesty and integrity to clinical decision-making, scientific pursuits, and interpersonal interactions;
• Understand the ethical dilemmas in medicine and develop a framework to resolve those conflicts;
• Work collaboratively as a member of health care teams;
• Understand their personal strengths, limitations, and vulnerabilities;
• Use constructive feedback to improve their performance; and
• Demonstrate appropriate self-assessment and coping strategies, including seeking assistance when needed.

Learning, Scholarship and Leadership

UCSF graduates will be prepared to continue their own education, teach others, provide leadership, and contribute to scholarly activities.

• Acquire, manage, and use information for the care of individuals and diverse populations;
• Reason deductively to solve clinical problems;
• Critically evaluate the medical literature;
• Use effective strategies for self-directed learning, including the use of information technology;
• Demonstrate skills of self-reflection to enhance learning from experience;
• Expand their understanding and appreciation of the scientific foundation of medicine as new discoveries are made;
• Demonstrate effective skills for teaching patients and colleagues;
• Understand methods of investigation and participate in scholarly and creative activities; and
• Demonstrate leadership skills and abilities.

Scientific Foundations

UCSF graduates will recognize the central importance of discovery, understand the scientific foundations of medicine, and will apply that understanding to the practice of evidence-based medicine.

Students will:

• Understand normal development from the molecular to the socio-cultural levels;
• Understand the pathophysiology of human disease at molecular, cellular, systems, and whole organism levels;
• Understand how physical, psychological, sociological, cultural, and environmental processes contribute to the etiology, pathogenesis, and manifestations of human health and disease;
• Understand the natural history of illness and strategies for promoting health and preventing illness; and
• Know how to critically appraise the scientific and clinical evidence that underlies evidence-based approaches to the treatment and care of individuals and populations.

Clinical Skills

UCSF graduates will master the core clinical skills needed to evaluate and care for their patients.

Students will:

• Obtain relevant medical histories from their patients;
• Perform appropriately focused physical examinations including associated technical procedures;
• Use laboratory and other diagnostic tests appropriately, taking into account the utility and limitations, cost and availability of these procedures;
• Synthesize information obtained from history, examination, and diagnostic tests to formulate a differential diagnosis based on clinical and scientific evidence;
• Use clinical judgment, scientific principles and an evidence-based approach to formulate an optimal plan of management, taking benefits, risks, and patient preferences into consideration;
• Recognize and institute initial treatment for patients with life-threatening emergencies;
• Listen to and communicate effectively with patients, patients' families, colleagues and others who contribute to health care delivery, in both written records and in personal communication;
• Use their understanding of doctor/patient relationships in a therapeutic, supportive and culturally sensitive way for patients and their families;
• Advocate for high quality patient care for all;
• Consider population health perspectives and identify appropriate practice innovations and improvements; and
• Understand and intervene in the health care system to improve patient care outcomes.

Revised 12/17/03