Educational Program Objectives
BU CARES Info Sheet 
Linked ACGME competencies are in parenthesis
Expand each section of the Institutional Learning Objectives (BU CARES) below to view the Medical Education Program Objectives (MEPOs) and their link to the Physician Competency Reference Set (PCRS are linked in parenthesis next to each MEPO).
Medical Education Program Objectives Info Sheet
The BUSM Graduate:
Behaves in a caring, compassionate and sensitive manner toward patients and colleagues of all cultures and backgrounds (Patient Care and Professionalism)
- B.1 – Apply principles of social-behavioral sciences to provision of patient care; including assessment of the impact of psychosocial and cultural influences on health, disease, care-seeking, care compliance, and barriers to and attitudes toward care. (2.5)
- B.2 – Demonstrate insight and understanding about emotions that allow one to develop and manage interpersonal interactions. (4.7)
- B.3 – Demonstrate compassion, integrity, and respect for others. (5.1)
- B.4 – Demonstrate sensitivity and responsiveness to a diverse patient population, including but not limited to diversity in gender, age, culture, race, religion, disabilities, and sexual orientation. (5.5)
Uses the science of normal and abnormal states of health to prevent disease to recognize and diagnose illness and to provide an appropriate level of care
(Medical Knowledge; Patient Care)
- U.1 – Perform all medical, diagnostic, and surgical procedures considered essential for the area of practice. (1.1)
- U.2 – Gather essential and accurate information about patients and their conditions through history-taking, physical examination, and the use of laboratory data, imaging and other tests. (1.2p)
- U.3 – Interpret laboratory data, imaging studies, and other tests required for the area of practice. (1.4)
- U.4 – Make informed decisions about diagnostic and therapeutic interventions based on patient information and preferences, up-to-date scientific evidence and clinical judgement. (1.5)
- U.5 – Develop and carry out patient management plans. (1.6)
- U.6 – Provide health care services to patients, families, and communities aimed at preventing health problems or maintaining health. (1.9)
- U.7 – Demonstrate an investigatory and analytic approach to clinical situations. (2.1)
- U.8 – Apply established and emerging bio-physical scientific principles fundamental to health care for patients and populations. (2.2)
- U.9 – Apply established and emerging principles of clinical sciences to health care for patients and populations. (2.3)
- U.10 Recognizes that ambiguity is a part of clinical health care and respond by utilizing appropriate resources in dealing with uncertainty. (8.8)
Communicates with colleagues and patients to ensure effective
interprofessional medical care (Interpersonal and Communication Skills,
Patient Care)
- C.1 – Gather essential and accurate information about patients and their conditions through history-taking, physical examination, and the use of laboratory data, imaging and other tests. (1.2h)
- C.2 – Counsel and educate patients and their families to empower them to participate in their care and enable shared decision making. (1.7)
- C.3 – Participate in the education of patients, families, students, trainees, peers and other health professionals. (3.8)
- C.4 – Communicate effectively with patients, families, and the public, as appropriate, across a broad range of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. (4.1)
- C.5 – Communicate effectively with colleagues within one’s profession or specialty, other health professionals, and health related agencies (4.2, see also 7.3)
- C.6 – Maintain comprehensive, timely, and legible medical records. (4.5)
- C.7 – Demonstrate sensitivity, honesty, and compassion in difficult conversations, including those about death, end of life, adverse events, bad news, disclosure of errors, and other sensitive topics. (4.6)
- C.8 – Communicate with other health professionals in a responsive and responsible manner that supports the maintenance of health and the treatment of disease in individual patients and populations. (7.3)
Acts in accordance with the highest ethical standards of medical practice (Professionalism)
- A.1 – Demonstrate responsiveness to patient needs that supersedes self-interest. (5.2)
- A.2 – Demonstrate respect for patient privacy and autonomy. (5.3)
- A.3 – Demonstrate accountability to patients, society, and the profession. (5.4)
- A.4 – Demonstrate a commitment to ethical principles pertaining to provision or withholding of care, confidentiality, informed consent, and business practices, including compliance with relevant laws, policies, and regulations. (5.6)
- A.5 – Work with other health professionals to establish and maintain a climate of mutual respect, dignity, diversity, ethical integrity, and trust. (7.1)
- A.6 – Demonstrate trustworthiness that makes colleagues feel secure when one is responsible for the care of patients. (8.5)
Reviews and critically appraises biomedical literature and evidence for the
purpose of ongoing improvement of the practice of medicine
(Practice-based learning and Improvement, Medical Knowledge)
- R.1 – Apply principles of epidemiological sciences to the identification of health problems, risk factors, treatment strategies, resources, and disease prevention/health promotion efforts for patients and populations. (2.4)
- R.2 – Locate, appraise, and assimilate evidence from scientific studies related to patients’ health problems. (3.6)
- R.3 – Continually identify, analyze, and implement new knowledge, guidelines, standards, technologies, products, or services that have been demonstrated to improve outcomes. (3.10)
Exhibits commitment and aptitude for life-long learning and continuing improvement (Practice-based Learning)
- E.1 – Identify strengths, deficiencies, and limits in one’s knowledge and expertise. (3.1)
- E.2 – Set learning and improvement goals. (3.2)
- E.3 – Identify and perform learning activities that address one’s gaps in knowledge, skills, and/or attitudes. (3.3)
- E.4 – Incorporate feedback into daily practice. (3.5)
- E.5 – Obtain and utilize information about individual patients, populations of patients, or communities from which patients are drawn to improve care. (3.9)
- E.6 – Develop the ability to use self-awareness of knowledge, skills, and emotional limitations to engage in appropriate help-seeking behaviors. (8.1)
- E.7 – Manage conflict between personal and professional responsibilities. (8.3)
Supports optimal patient care through identifying and using resources of the health care system (Systems-based Practice; Patient Care)
- S.1 – Provide appropriate referral of patients including ensuring continuity of care throughout transitions between providers or settings, and following up on patient progress and outcomes. (1.8)
- S.2 – Systematically analyze practice using quality-improvement methods and implement changes with the goal of practice improvement. (3.4)
- S.3 – Use information technology to optimize learning. (3.7)
- S.4 – Work effectively with others as a member or leader of a health care team or other professional group. (4.3, see also 7.4)
- S.5 – Work effectively in various health care delivery settings and systems relevant to one’s clinical specialty. (6.1)
- S.6 – Coordinate patient care within the health care system relevant to one’s clinical specialty. (6.2)
- S.7 – Incorporate considerations of cost awareness and risk-benefit analysis in patient and/or population-based care. (6.3)
- S.8 – Advocate for quality patient care and optimal patient care systems. (6.4)
- S.9 – Use the knowledge of one’s own role and the roles of other health professionals to appropriately assess and address the health care needs of the patients and populations served. (7.2)
- S.10 – Participate in different team roles to establish, develop, and continuously enhance interprofessional teams to provide patient- and population-centered care that is safe, timely, efficient, effective, and equitable. (7.4)
Institutional Learning Objectives (BU CARES) updates approved by the Medical Education Committee on September 10, 2015.
Medical Education Program Objectives approved by the Medical Education Committee on February 8, 2018.