To complete its educational mission, the COM has established 14 Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs). These comply with the AACOM core competencies, the 2018 NBOME dimensions of competencies and clinical presentations and the osteopathic Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA). These also align with the CHSU Global Learning Outcomes.
CHSU COM curriculum is mission driven in that it will promote and encompass valuable attributes, critical for a competent Osteopathic physician serving the Central Valley of California:
- Promoting a diverse medical community that would be committed to the underserved populations of the Central Valley;
- Primary-care oriented training during pre-clinical and clinical years;
- Emphasis on nutrition and wellness embedded through the entire curriculum;
- Facilitating Team-based learning, Simulated-patient presentations and other active learning modules methods during the learning sessions; and in a collaborative setting through Inter- professional Exercises partnering with the CHSU- College of Pharmacy, as necessary;
- Enabling learners to participate in relevant research pursuits and becoming a life-long learner.
PLO 1.
Osteopathic Principles and Practice: Understand and apply knowledge of accepted standards in Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT). The educational goal is to train a skilled and competent osteopathic GME candidate who remains dedicated to life-long learning and to practice habits in osteopathic philosophy and manipulative medicine.
PLO 2.
Medical Knowledge: Comprehend and be able to apply knowledge of accepted standards of clinical medicine and new developments in medicine and promote life-long learning activities, including research.
PLO 3.
Patient Care: Demonstrate the ability to apply knowledge needed to effectively treat patients and provide medical care that incorporates the osteopathic philosophy, patient empathy, awareness of behavioral issues, the incorporation of preventive medicine, and health promotion.
PLO 4.
Interpersonal and Communication skills: Learn and Exhibit interpersonal and communication skills that enable them to establish and maintain professional relationships with patients, families and other members of the health care teams.
PLO 5.
Professionalism: Practice and uphold the Osteopathic Oath in the conduct of their professional activities that promote advocacy of patient welfare, adherence to ethical principles, and collaboration with health professionals, life-long learning, and sensitivity to a diverse patient population. Students should be cognizant of their own physical and mental health in order to care effectively for patients.
PLO 6.
Practice-based learning and improvement: Understand the importance of critically evaluating practice methods; integrating evidence-based medicine into patient care, understanding research methods, and improving patient care practices.
PLO 7.
Systems based practice: Evaluate and analyze the available information and resources to demonstrate awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care, and effectively identify system resources to maximize the health of the individual and the community or population at large in a cost-effective manner.
PLO 8.
Counseling for Health Promotion/Disease Prevention: Demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to the patient-centered medical concepts of continued, coordinated and comprehensive health care by applying available resources for health screening and prevention; as well as exhibit preventive health principles by modeling a healthy lifestyle.
PLO 9.
Cultural Competencies: Understand the scope of culture and elements that form and define it to recognize personal and professional tendencies toward bias and/or stereotyping and work to counter them; as well as be able to assist the health care team in developing a mutually acceptable, culturally responsive plan for patient care.
PLO 10.
Evaluation of Health Sciences Literature: Demonstrate effective use of available technology to locate health sciences literature and be able to appraise their validity, reliability, impact, and applicability by applying the critical concepts of medical knowledge, epidemiology, biostatistics, and research methodology with an ultimate goal to utilize the best and appropriate information for patient care.
PLO 11.
Environmental and Occupational Medicine: Demonstrate the knowledge necessary to understand the policy framework and major pieces of legislation and regulations related to environmental and occupational health; as well as have the knowledge relating to fitness, disability and safe work place to be able to assess and providing control measures in an osteopathic evidence-based clinical evaluation and prescribe treatment if there is a risk of an adverse event from exposure to physical, chemical or biological hazards.
PLO 12.
Public Health Systems: Apply understanding of the interaction of public health and health care systems in the practice of osteopathic medicine as it affects health promotion and disease prevention; as well as recognize the impact of environmental and cultural influences to improve public health among divergent populations.
PLO 13.
Global Health: Demonstrate the knowledge and skills required to understand the differences between the US and non-US health care systems; and be able to provide appropriate preventive and post-return care for diseases infrequently encountered in the US, with an understanding of the threat of pandemic and/or endemic health events.
PLO 14.
Interprofessional Education and Collaboration: Comprehend and communicate the roles and responsibilities of other care providers; and in doing so, be able to choose effective communication tools and techniques for engaging other health professionals, appropriate to the specific care situations, in shared patient-centered problem solving for effective team-based care.