Graduation Competencies | UC Davis School of Medicine

Graduates of the UC Davis School of Medicine are certified by our faculty to possess the general competencies required for supervised medical practice. These competencies are based on the AAMC, AACOM, and ACGME Foundational Competencies for Undergraduate Medical Education which replaced the AAMC Physician Competency Reference Set. These competencies align with GME expectations while being developmentally appropriate for UME. They are not exhaustive or mandated, but are intended to be measurable.

The six competency domains are interpersonal and communication skills, medical knowledge, patient care and procedural skills, practice-based learning and improvement, professionalism, and system-based practice. The medical curriculum is designed to teach and assess key developmental milestones students are expected to achieve in each domain as they progress from matriculation to graduation.

Interpersonal and Communication Skills

Interpersonal and Communication Skills Competency Statement: Effectively communicates and interacts with patients, caregivers, and the health care team to contribute to high-quality, patient-centered care.

Subcompetency	Pre-clerkship milestone	Post-clerkship milestone
1IPCS. Collaborates with patients, caregivers, and team members to enhance the therapeutic relationship.	Build trust with patients and peers	Collaborates with patients, caregivers, and team members to enhance the therapeutic relationship.
2IPCS. Collaborates with health care and administrative team members to enhance team function.	Incorporates understanding of one's own role and the roles of others in classroom and clinical interactions.	Collaborates with health care and administrative team members to enhance team function.
3IPCS. Demonstrates active listening.	Gives full attention to others and allows them to speak without interruption	Demonstrates active listening.
4IPCS. Communicates clearly and accurately in verbal and written formats.	Communicates in an organized manner, using language and format appropriate for the audience	Communicates clearly and accurately in verbal and written formats.
5IPCS. Demonstrates skills in educating patients, caregivers, peers, and team members	Demonstrates skills in educating patients and peers	Demonstrates skills in educating patients, caregivers, peers, and team members
6IPCS. Formulates and shares feedback constructively	Formulates and shares feedback constructively through an externally guided process.	Formulates and shares feedback constructively

Medical Knowledge

Medical Knowledge Competency Statement: Integrates and applies foundational knowledge to improve health care for patients and communities.

Subcompetency	Pre-clerkship milestone	Post-clerkship milestone
1MK. Demonstrates knowledge of biomedical, clinical, and health systems science needed for clinical practice.	Demonstrates foundational knowledge of biomedical, clinical, and health systems science.	Demonstrates knowledge of biomedical, clinical, and health systems science needed for clinical practice.
2MK. Applies foundational knowledge in biomedical, clinical, and health system sciences to clinical problem-solving, diagnostic reasoning, and decision-making.	Applies foundational knowledge in biomedical, clinical, and health system sciences to clinical problem-solving, diagnostic reasoning, and decision-making related to common chief concerns and conditions.	Applies foundational knowledge in biomedical, clinical, and health system sciences to clinical problem-solving, diagnostic reasoning, and decision-making.
3MK. Accesses knowledge relevant to clinical problems using appropriate resources.	Demonstrates use of appropriate resources to access foundational knowledge.	Accesses knowledge relevant to clinical problems using appropriate resources.
4MK. Discerns the accuracy of information and relevance to clinical problems.	Discerns the accuracy of information.	Discerns the accuracy of information and relevance to clinical problems.
5MK. Demonstrates knowledge of research design, interpretation, and application to clinical questions.	Demonstrates knowledge of research design and interpretation.	Demonstrates knowledge of research design, interpretation, and application to clinical questions.

Patient Care and Procedural Skills

Patient Care and Procedural Skills Competency Statement: Demonstrates compassionate, effective, holistic, evidence-informed, equitable, and patient-centered care.

Subcompetency	Pre-clerkship milestone	Post-clerkship milestone
1PC. Integrates patient and caregiver context, needs, values, preferences, and experiences into patient care.	Gathers patient and caregiver context, needs, values, preferences, and experiences.	Integrates patient and caregiver context, needs, values, preferences, and experiences into patient care.
2PC. Gathers relevant patient histories from multiple data sources, as necessary.	Gathers relevant patient histories for common chief concerns.	Gathers relevant patient histories from multiple data sources, as necessary.
3PC. Performs relevant physical examinations using appropriate techniques and tools.	Performs relevant physical examinations using appropriate techniques and tools for common chief concerns.	Performs relevant physical examinations using appropriate techniques and tools.
4PC. Identifies patients in need of urgent or emergent care, seeks assistance, and recommends initial evaluation/management	Describes potential findings in patients in need of urgent or emergent care	Identifies patients in need of urgent or emergent care, seeks assistance, and recommends initial evaluation/management
5PC. Creates and prioritizes differential diagnoses.	Creates and prioritizes differential diagnoses for common chief concerns.	Creates and prioritizes differential diagnoses.
6PC. Proposes hypothesis-driven diagnostic testing and interprets results.	Proposes hypothesis-driven diagnostic testing and interprets results for common chief concerns.	Proposes hypothesis-driven diagnostic testing and interprets results.
7PC. Formulates therapeutic management plans for commonly encountered clinical conditions.	Formulates initial therapeutic management plans for commonly encountered clinical conditions.	Formulates therapeutic management plans for commonly encountered clinical conditions.
8PC. Uses patient-centered language to describe common diagnostic & therapeutic plans.	Adapts discussion of common findings and interventions to patient's level of understanding.	Uses patient-centered language to describe common diagnostic & therapeutic plans.
9PC. Demonstrates basic procedural techniques.	Demonstrates universal standard precautions.	Demonstrates basic procedural techniques.
10PC. Incorporates health promotion and disease prevention into patient care plans.	Incorporates health promotion and disease prevention into patient care plans for non-acute visits	Incorporates health promotion and disease prevention into patient care plans.

Practice-Based Learning and Improvement

Practice-Based Learning and Improvement Competency Statement: Integrates feedback, evidence, and reflection to adapt behavior, foster improvement, and cultivate lifelong learning.

Subcompetency	Pre-clerkship milestone	Post-clerkship milestone
1PBLI. Actively seeks and incorporates feedback and assessment data to improve performance.	Actively seeks and incorporates feedback and assessment data to improve performance through an externally guided process.	Actively seeks and incorporates feedback and assessment data to improve performance.
2PBLI. Identifies opportunities for growth in one’s own performance through informed self-assessment and reflective practice.	Identifies opportunities for growth in one’s own performance through an externally guided process, informed self-assessment and reflective practice.	Identifies opportunities for growth in one’s own performance through informed self-assessment and reflective practice.
3PBLI. Develops, implements, and reassesses learning and improvement goals.	Develops, implements, and reassesses learning and improvement goals through an externally guided process.	Develops, implements, and reassesses learning and improvement goals.
4PBLI. Locates, critically appraises, and synthesizes information to support evidence-informed, patient-centered clinical decisions.	Locates, critically appraises, and synthesizes medical literature through an externally guided process.	Locates, critically appraises, and synthesizes information to support evidence-informed, patient-centered clinical decisions.
5PBLI. Demonstrates inquiry and seeks new knowledge.	Demonstrates inquiry and seeks new knowledge through an externally guided process.	Demonstrates inquiry and seeks new knowledge.

Professionalism

Competency Statement: Demonstrates integrity, respect, and ethical reasoning, and promotes inclusion of differences in all interactions to improve health care for patients and communities.

Subcompetency	Pre-clerkship milestone	Post-clerkship milestone
1P. Demonstrates respect and compassion	Demonstrates respect and compassion.	Demonstrates respect and compassion
2P. Safeguards patient privacy and confidentiality.	Safeguards patient privacy and confidentiality.	Safeguards patient privacy and confidentiality.
3P. Uses ethical principles and reasoning to guide behavior.	Uses ethical principles and reasoning to guide behavior.	Uses ethical principles and reasoning to guide behavior.
4P. Adapts actions and communication according to the situation.	Adapts actions and communication according to the situation.	Adapts actions and communication according to the situation.
5P. Takes responsibility for mistakes and acts to address them.	Takes responsibility for mistakes and acts to address them.	Takes responsibility for mistakes and acts to address them.
6P. Identifies personal limits of knowledge and skills and seeks help appropriately.	Identifies personal limits of knowledge and skills and seeks help appropriately.	Identifies personal limits of knowledge and skills and seeks help appropriately.
7P. Identifies biases and strategies to mitigate their effects.	Identifies biases and strategies to mitigate their effects.	Identifies biases and strategies to mitigate their effects
8P. Demonstrates humility and a willingness to learn from others with different backgrounds and experiences.	Demonstrates humility and a willingness to learn from others with different backgrounds and experiences.	Demonstrates humility and a willingness to learn from others with different backgrounds and experiences.
9P. Recognizes and addresses personal well-being needs that may impact professional performance.	Recognizes and addresses personal well-being needs that may impact professional performance.	Recognizes and addresses personal well-being needs that may impact professional performance.
10P. Completes duties and tasks in a thorough, reliable, and timely manner.	Completes duties and tasks in a thorough, reliable, and timely manner.	Completes duties and tasks in a thorough, reliable, and timely manner.

Systems-Based Practice

Systems-Based Practice Competency Statement: Applies knowledge of the larger context of health, including its social and structural determinants, and of systems and resources within and outside of health care, to optimize high-quality care for patients and communities.

Subcompetency	Pre-clerkship milestone	Post-clerkship milestone
1SBP. Applies knowledge of social and structural drivers of health.	Identifies social and structural drivers of health.	Applies knowledge of social and structural drivers of health.
2SBP. Identifies mechanisms to reduce disparities in patient care and health care systems.	Identifies disparities in patient care and health care systems.	Identifies mechanisms to reduce disparities in patient care and health care systems.
3SBP. Functions effectively in various health care teams, delivery settings, and systems.	Identifies unique and defining characteristics of various health care teams, delivery settings, and systems.	Functions effectively in various health care teams, delivery settings, and systems.
4SBP. Collaborates in transitions and coordination of care.	Describes important principles related to transitions and coordination of care.	Collaborates in transitions and coordination of care.
5SBP. Evaluates the risks and benefits of using current and emerging technologies in patient care.	Describes potential risks and benefits of using current and emerging technologies in medicine.	Evaluates the risks and benefits of using current and emerging technologies in patient care.

UC Davis School of Medicine M.D. Program Competencies, updated April 2026

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