Student Learning Outcomes and Competency Domains
The MD program defines six competency domains each with specific student learning outcomes that should be acquired and mastered by the program graduates. These competency domains and student learning outcomes are adopted and adapted with sensitivity to the cultural context of medical practice in Qatar and the Gulf region.
Following international standards, the six competency domains are:
A-O1. Obtain an accurate holistic medical history that covers all essential aspects of a patient and his/her problem, including issues related to age, gender and socio-economic status.
A-O2. Reason deductively in solving clinical problems.
A-O3. Perform both a complete and a focused organ system specific examination, including a mental status examination.
A-O4. Perform routine technical procedures at a level suitable to medical students.
A-O5. Construct basic appropriate management strategies (both diagnostic and therapeutic) for patients with common conditions related to different age groups and genders, both acute and chronic, including medical, psychiatric, and surgical conditions, and those requiring short- and long-term rehabilitation.
A-O6. Formulate a treatment plan, demonstrating the ability to take action by balancing the relative risks and benefits of outcomes and treatment options.
A-O7. Recognize patients with immediately life threatening cardiac, pulmonary, or neurological conditions regardless of etiology, and to institute appropriate initial therapy applying Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support principles.
A-O8. Outline an initial course of management for patients with serious conditions requiring critical care.
A-O9. Identify factors that place individuals at risk for disease or injury, to select appropriate tests for detecting patients at risk for specific diseases or in the early stage of disease, and to determine strategies for responding appropriately (screening).
A-O10. Interpret laboratory tests, demonstrating knowledge of the limitations of standard laboratory measurements and integrate clinical and laboratory findings in the diagnosis and management of a patient problem.
A-O11. Document and share patient-specific information, demonstrating the ability to use information systems specific findings about a patient and orders directing the further care of the patient.
A-O12. Define and describe a population, to include its demography, cultural and socioeconomic constitution, circumstances of living, and health status, and to understand the relevance of these factors to the health and healthcare of individuals, families and administrators.
B-O1. Apply the knowledge about the normal structure and function of the body (as an intact organism) and of each of its major organ systems in understanding the abnormal pathology, symptoms and signs of diseases.
B-O2. Understand the molecular, biochemical, and cellular mechanisms that are important in maintaining the body’s homeostasis.
B-O3. Recognize the various causes (genetic, developmental, metabolic, toxic, microbiologic, autoimmune, neoplastic, degenerative, and traumatic) of illness/disease and the ways in which they operate on the body (pathogenesis).
B-O4. Knowledge of the altered structure and function (pathology and pathophysiology) of the body and its major organ systems that are seen in various diseases and conditions.
B-O5. Apply the knowledge of the most frequent clinical, laboratory, radiological, and pathologic manifestations of common diseases in diagnosis and management.
B-O6. Understand of the power of the scientific method in establishing the causation of disease and efficacy of traditional and non-traditional therapies.
B-O7. Apply the principles of disease prevention and behavior change appropriate for specific population health problems.
B-O8. Recognize the importance of non-biological determinants of (poor) health and of the economic, psychological, social, and cultural factors that contribute to the development and/or continuation of diseases.
B-O9. Knowledge of the epidemiology of common diseases within a defined population, and the systematic approaches useful in reducing the incidence and prevalence of those diseases.
C-O1. Determine what data exist relative to a clinical question or formal hypothesis, demonstrating knowledge of data sources (including medical records, and online data) at one’s own institution by identifying how these might be used to address a specific clinical question.
C-O2. Execute a plan for data collection and organize data for analysis, demonstrating the ability to properly represent data from a study in a form that is useful and supports computer-based analysis.
C-O3. Plan, analyze, interpret and report findings, demonstrating the ability to select the appropriate computer software tool for analysis of data.
C-O4. Demonstrate knowledge of the information resources and tools available to support life-long learning. Knowledge includes awareness of these resources, their content, and the information needs that they can address. Relevant resources include MEDLINE and other bibliographic databases, textbooks and reference sources, diagnostic expert systems, and medical internet resources.
C-O5. Retrieve information, demonstrating the ability to refine search strategies to improve relevance and completeness of retrieved items.
C-O6. Filter, evaluate, and reconcile information, demonstrating the ability to discriminate between types of information sources in terms of their currency, format (for example a review vs. an original article), authority, relevance and availability.
D-O1. Use effective communication skills to elicit and provide information using values and attitudes and effective verbal, nonverbal (explanatory, questioning) writing skills.
D-O2. Use effective writing skills to transmit information and express concerns
D-O3. Listen to and respect the view of patients and their supporters
D-O4. Listen to and respect the view of other members of the team involved in the patient’s care
D-O5. Recognize and respect the varying needs of patients for information and explanation
D-O6. Encourage patients to discuss the proposed treatment with their supporter
D-O7. Fully inform the patient, and their supporter of progress during treatment
D-O8. Explain any complications of treatment as they occur and explain the possible solution
D-O9. Act immediately when patients have suffered harm and apologize when appropriate
D-O10. Work effectively as an individual, in interprofessional groups, and as a member of a complex healthcare system, demonstrating knowledge of online resources for legislation, political advocacy and local healthcare policy setting.
E-O1. Apply the theories and principles that govern ethical decision making in understanding major ethical dilemmas in medicine, particularly those that arise at the beginning and end of life and those that arise from the rapid expansion of knowledge of genetics.
E-O2. Compassionate treatment of patients, and respect for their privacy and dignity.
E-O3. Honesty and integrity in all interactions with patients’ families, colleagues, and others with whom physicians must interact in their professional lives.
E-O4. An understanding of, and respect for, the roles of other healthcare professionals, and of the need to collaborate with others in caring for individual patients and in promoting the health of defined populations.
E-O5. A commitment to advocate at all times the interest of one’s patients over one’s own interests.
E-O6. An understanding of the threats to medical professionalism posed by the conflicts of interest inherent in various financial and organizational arrangements for the practice of medicine.
E-O7. The capacity to recognize and accept limitations in one’s knowledge and clinical skills, and a commitment to continuously improve one’s knowledge and ability.
E-O8. Respect patient (and physician) confidentiality, demonstrating knowledge of the legal, ethical, and medical issues surrounding patient documentation, including confidentiality and data security.
F-O1. Formulate and make decisions for individuals and groups, demonstrating knowledge of cost/benefit issues in healthcare.
F-O2. Knowledge about how local healthcare systems deliver patient care to different kinds of patients.
