Technical Standards for Medical School Admission

The following technical standards are based on standards suggested by the Special Advisory Panel on Technical Standards for Medical School Admissions convened by the AAMC (Memorandum #79-4) in January 1979*. These guidelines will be reviewed annually by the Admissions Committee and will be updated periodically. These guidelines specify the attributes considered essential for completing medical school training and for enabling each graduate to enter residency and clinical practice. The M.D. degree signifies that the holder is a physician prepared for entry into the practice of medicine within postgraduate training programs. As such, these Technical Standards, along with the academic standards established by the faculty, describe the essential functions that applicants must demonstrate to meet the requirements of a general medical education, and are pre-requisites for admissions, matriculation, promotion, and graduation.

WAUSM will consider for admission and continuation any applicant who meets its academic and nonacademic criteria and who demonstrates the ability to perform skills and meet the standards listed in this document, with or without reasonable accommodations, consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. These standards also conform to the AAMC guidelines for medical schools. The college believes that all applicants must possess the intellectual, physical and emotional capabilities necessary to undertake the required curriculum in a reasonably independent manner without having to rely on the assistance of others or intermediaries, and that all applicants must be able to achieve the levels of competence required by the faculty. All applicants for admission, both those with and without disabilities, are expected to be competitive with others in the applicant pool in academic, personal and extracurricular attributes. The institutional policy is to make admissions decisions on a case-by-case basis and based on each applicant’s qualifications to contribute to the University’s educational mission. For purposes of this document and unless otherwise defined, the term “applicant” or “candidate” means applicants for admission to medical school as well as enrolled medical students who are candidates for promotion and graduation.

*Recommendations of the AAMC Special Advisory Panel on Technical Standards for Medical School Admissions, approved by the AAMC Executive Council on January 18, 1979, are reproduced below.

Nondiscrimination Policy

The WAUSM Nondiscrimination Policy applies to the recruitment and admission of students, employment of faculty and staff, and scholarship and loan programs. This policy is also followed in the operation of all other programs, activities, and services of Western Atlantic University School of Medicine (WAUSM).

The selection process for all WAUSM employees, faculty and students shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, political affiliation or belief, national origin, veteran status, pregnancy status, or marital status.

Western Atlantic University School of Medicine (WAUSM) is an equal opportunity employer (EEO) and does not discriminate in the student admissions process, the conduct and operations of educational programs and activities, operational activities, and employment practices.

WAUSM embraces and values the richness that diversity contributes to the learning environment and recognizes that diversity enhances the quality of its educational programs, and as such, WAUSM is dedicated to recruiting a diverse student population and ensuring that no discriminatory practices shall exist.

WAUSM is committed to providing a working and learning environment in which students, faculty and staff are treated with courtesy, respect, and dignity.

WAUSM’s policy is that no student, faculty, or staff shall be discriminated in, or denied benefits of, any educational program or activity on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, political affiliation or belief, national origin, veteran status, pregnancy status, or marital status.

Anyone that is a witness to a discriminatory action by WAUSM’s students, faculty, staff or any of its affiliates, or anyone who believes they have been the object of discrimination or any discriminatory practices, should notify the appropriate WAUSM office as more particularly set forth in the reporting protocols articulated in WAUSM’s Student Handbook or Colleague Handbook, respectively. Any allegation of discrimination will be investigated. The reporting individual may file a report without fear of retaliation.

Technical (Non-academic) Standards for Medical School Admission

A candidate for the M.D. degree must have abilities and skills in the five functional areas described below and must have the physical and emotional stamina and capacity to function in a competent manner, and consistent with these standards, in the classroom, clinical and laboratory settings—including settings that may involve heavy workloads, long hours, and stressful situations.

1. 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, microbiologic cultures, and microscopic studies of microorganisms 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, hearing, and somatic sensation. It is enhanced by the sense of smell.

2. Communication: A candidate must be able to speak, to hear, and to observe patients to elicit information, describe changes in mood, activity, and posture, and perceive nonverbal communications. A candidate must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients. Communication includes not only speech but reading and writing. The candidate must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in oral and written form with all members of the health care team.

3. Motor: Candidates must have sufficient motor function to elicit information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion, and other diagnostic maneuvers that comprise a complete physical examination (including pelvic examination). A candidate must be able to perform the basic and advanced clinical procedures that are requirements of the curriculum. 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, vision, and hearing.

4. Intellectual: Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities: These abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis. Problem-solving, the critical skill demanded of physicians, requires that a candidate be able to learn, retrieve, analyze, sequence, organize, synthesize and integrate information efficiently, and reason effectively. In addition, the candidate should be able to measure and calculate accurately, and to understand the spatial relationships of structures.

5. Behavioral and Social Attributes: A candidate must possess the emotional health required for full utilization of his 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. Candidates must be able to work effectively, respectfully and professionally as part of the healthcare team, and to interact with patients, their families and healthcare personnel in a courteous, professional and respectful manner. 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 required.

Technological compensation can be made in certain of these areas, but a candidate should be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner. The use of a trained intermediary, a person trained to perform essential skills on behalf of the candidate, or a person used such that a candidate’s judgment must be mediated by someone else’s power of selection and observation, is not permitted.

In addition to the abilities and skills set forth above, candidates must possess the general physical health necessary for performing the duties of a medical student and physician in training without endangering the lives of patients and/or employees with whom the student might have contact.

Candidates whose performance is impaired by abuse of alcohol or other substances are not suitable candidates for admission, continuation, promotion, or graduation.

Process for Assessing the Applicant’s Compliance with the Technical Standards

Applicants are required to attest at the time they accept an offer to matriculate that they meet the University’s technical standards. These standards are not intended to deter any student who might be able to complete the requirements of the curriculum with reasonable accommodations. Requests from applicants for reasonable accommodations in meeting the technical standards will be reviewed and considered by the WAUSM Office of Student Affairs Services. Students requesting accommodations must complete WAUSM’s “Academic Accommodations” form.

Students with Disabilities

Individuals with disabilities (as defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act) may be qualified to study and practice medicine with the use of a reasonable accommodation. To be qualified for the study of medicine, those individuals must be able to meet WAUSM’s academic and technical standards, with or without reasonable accommodation. Accommodation is a means of assisting students with disabilities to meet essential standards by providing them with an equal opportunity to participate in all aspects of each required course or clinical experience in the curriculum. Reasonable accommodation is not intended to guarantee that students will be successful in meeting the curricular requirements.

Technological compensation can be made for some disabilities in certain areas, but a candidate should be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner. Qualified students with documented disabilities may be provided with reasonable accommodations that may include involvement of an intermediary or an auxiliary aid. But no disability can be reasonably accommodated with an aid or intermediary that provides cognitive interpretation, or substitutes for essential clinical skills, or supplements clinical and ethical judgment. Thus, accommodations cannot eliminate essential program elements or fundamentally change the curriculum of WAUSM.

Requests for accommodation must be made in writing and must be supported by appropriate documentation. Students should review the Accommodations Policy included in this handbook or contact the Office of Student Affairs for more information on the process to request accommodations.

New Student Course Registration and Matriculation Requirements

All newly accepted WAUSM students must comply with the contingencies detailed in the Conditions of Acceptance letter issued upon acceptance along with the assigned pre-matriculation preparatory materials and submission of all orientation forms.

Prior to matriculating as a medical student at WAUSM, all admitted applicants must meet the conditions of acceptance as listed on their offer of admission. If a student believes their documents will be delayed (i.e., final official transcript, test scores, course requirements, etc.); a written exception request must be submitted to the Office of the University Registrar and the student must receive approval prior to the start of classes. If approval is granted, a hold will be placed on the student record and all outstanding documents must be received within the first semester of classes. If all documentation is not submitted within the first semester of classes, students will be subject to administrative withdrawal and may lose the privilege to register for a subsequent semester.

In addition, students are required to complete pre-matriculation preparatory material prior to beginning medical school. Details of matriculation and enrollment policies will be sent to the student requiring acknowledgement prior to the start of the semester.

Students who pass (P) MAPP academically, and upon MAPP Director recommendation, are accepted into WAUSM.

The Office of the University Registrar will register new students upon confirmation by the Office of Admissions. A student’s enrollment is contingent on submission of all documentation required for admission. Any missing documentation specified by the Office of Admissions must be submitted to the Office of the University Registrar prior to the start of classes.

Tuition is billed upon course registration, approximately two weeks prior to the start of each semester or once all documents have been confirmed and received by the Office of Admissions (whichever comes first). Tuition is due, in full, before the start of classes each semester. Students who have submitted all required financial aid forms and have received a loan guarantee and/or approval that cover the balance due, may have their tuition payment deferred until the funds disburse from the lender.

Student Assumption of Risk

By entering into an agreement with the Western Atlantic University School of Medicine to engage in your medical education you are voluntarily consenting to participate in educational activities, including required clinical skills experiences, with an understanding of the inherent risks, both known and unknown, associated with your professional training and the practice of medicine. As a medical student at WAUSM, you acknowledge and assume responsibility for the inherent risks of adverse health events due to the nature of the general training and the specific clinical patient care environments. These risks may include, but are not limited to, occupational hazards and injuries, the transmission of communicable diseases, blood borne pathogen exposure, emotional stress, and bodily injury.

Electronic Communication

WAUSM uses electronic mail (email) for all official communication with enrolled students. Each student will be provided with a unique email address. Students must use this address in all communications with faculty, administration or other students when conducting University business or engaged in online learning activities that require email communication. The University will not recognize or record personal email addresses for communications with enrolled students. It is the student’s responsibility to check University email accounts on a regular basis. Students who find it necessary to take a leave of absence from the University or those students who may be temporarily withdrawn from the University for any reason may retain their email address to facilitate communication of re-enrollment requirements and other outstanding business with the University. All users of the WAUSM’s technology, including email accounts, are expected to adhere to the guidelines for proper and professional use. Violations of this policy may result in closure of email accounts, loss of technology access, and disciplinary action including withdrawal from the program. Please see the Information Technology section for more information.

Welcome Week

Welcome week occurs the week before the start of a semester in Grand Bahama. During welcome week, student’s check-in to confirm that they are physically in Grand Bahama and provides new students the opportunity to get acclimated with the environment while getting introduced to the curriculum to prepare you for the next four years. It also provides an opportunity for students to complete or deliver any outstanding documentation that is needed by WAUSM before the semester begins.

Continuing students (semesters 2–10) are expected to attend continuing student check-in prior to the start of the semester, or as scheduled by the Offices of Student Affairs and University Registrar.

Advanced Standing and Credit Transfer

The WAUSM Advanced Standing and Credit Transfer Policy describes the circumstances under which WAUSM accepts advanced standing and/or credit transfer, the criteria the student must meet to be considered for advanced standing and/or transfer credit, the review process and academic expectations required of students with advanced standing and/or credit transfer.

Given the potential for curricular differences between the WAUSM curriculum and the school from which the student is transferring, WAUSM does not commonly accept transfer credits or offer advanced standing. The review will also be dependent upon availability of clerkship/rotation sites and adequate educational opportunities. WAUSM typically accepts students at the beginning of the first semester or after the student has passed all equivalent pre-clerkship or foundational courses has passed USMLE Step 1.

Criteria to request a credit transfer or advanced standing:

A student may be reviewed for credit transfer when a compelling reason exists to request the transfer. All requests for advanced standing or credit transfers will be reviewed by an ad hoc committee on student transfers.

To be eligible for consideration, the student must:

• Complete WAUSM’s Application for Transfer form
• Obtain a letter of good standing from the Registrar of the school from which they are transferring
• Submit a copy of medical school transcript from every medical school attended
• Provide a detailed description of the medical school curricula and course descriptions students are seeking transfer credit for
• Provide a compelling letter addressed to the Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs notifying the intent and reasons for the transfer a minimum of 90 days in advance of the requested transfer date

The student must also meet the following requirements:

• Be in good academic standing and have current passing grades in all subjects.
• Must have successfully passed USMLE STEP 1 on the first attempt.
• Must not be suspended, dismissed, or on probation.
• Must have a negative background check as to charges and convictions and a negative drug screen.
• If withdrawn, the student must be eligible for re-admission to the medical school from which they are transferring.
• The student is not transferring in the middle of an academic semester.
• Minimally, the student must complete the last two years of instruction at WAUSM to be eligible to receive the M.D. degree from WAUSM.
• The previous coursework must be equivalent to the WAUSM course work and requirements.
• The student must meet WAUSM’s health requirements and technical standards.
• The student must be in overall good standing with no behavioral infractions with the institution from which they are transferring.

Review and Transfer of Credit Process

Once an applicant has submitted all required materials and meets all the stated conditions, all documentation provided will be reviewed by the Clerkship Admission Subcommittee of the Admissions Committee.

The Clerkship Admission Subcommittee will determine the curricular equivalency, the exact placement of the student in the curriculum, and ensure that the resources exist to allow the student to join WAUSM’s program. If the review by the Clerkship Admission Subcommittee determines the resources exist and the applicant is eligible to transfer, the Subcommittee will contact the Dean from the medical school from which the applicant is transferring to ensure the appropriate plans have been made and that no unidentified negative grades or behavioral problems exist that prohibit the transfer.

All coursework will be evaluated prior to transferring and will be credited to the student only after careful review by the Clerkship Admission Subcommittee on student transfers. Each course will be evaluated as to course content, equivalency, and credit hours prior to being accepted. After evaluation, the Subcommittee will make a recommendation to the Chair of the Admissions Committee who will then inform the Executive Dean to make the final decision.

Transfer of Credit

Credits eligible for transfer will be determined by the Clerkship Admission Subcommittee of the Admissions Committee. Students who are transferring between medical schools cannot be given credit for incomplete or failed courses or for courses taken more than two years prior to the time the applicant is accepted for enrollment.

Students applying for transfer should know that WAUSM makes no claim or guarantee that credits earned while enrolled at WAUSM will transfer to other institutions. Pre-clerkship courses, credits or requirements not satisfied at the previous academic institution must be successfully completed at WAUSM prior to the beginning of third year rotations. Additional courses required and requirements for completion of these courses will be determined by the Clerkship Admission Subcommittee and will be communicated to the student.

Review and acceptance of any transfer of credit or awarding of advanced standing will not be construed as a promise or guarantee of the student’s success in the WAUSM curriculum.