ATACS Center: Advanced Teaching and Assessment in Clinical Simulation

The ability to obtain an accurate medical history that covers all essential aspects of the history, including issues related to age, gender, culture, socio-economic status and complementary and alternative medicine

The ability to communicate effectively, and efficiently, both orally and in writing, with patients, patients' families, colleagues, and others with whom physicians must exchange information in carrying out their responsibilities

The ability to apply and successfully practice medical knowledge obtained in classrooms or courses

The ability to perform both a complete and an organ/system-specific examination, including a mental status examination

Knowledge of the more sensitive and/or specific clinical, laboratory, roentgenologic, and pathologic manifestations of common medical presentations or illnesses

The ability to reason deductively in solving clinical problems

The ability to do routine Performance-Self Assessment (PSA)

The ability to perform routine technical procedures including at a minimum venipuncture, inserting  an intravenous catheter, arterial puncture, thoracentesis, lumbar puncture, inserting a nasogastric  tube, inserting a Foley catheter, and suturing lacerations

The ability to interpret the results of commonly used diagnostic procedures

The ability to construct appropriate management strategies (both diagnostic and therapeutic) for patients with common conditions, both acute and chronic, including medical, psychiatric, and surgical conditions, and those requiring short- and long-term rehabilitation

The ability to immediately recognize patients with threatening cardiac, pulmonary, or neurological conditions regardless of etiology and to institute appropriate initial therapy

The ability to recognize and outline an initial course of management for patients with serious conditions requiring critical care

Knowledge about relieving pain and ameliorating the suffering of patients