College of Dental Medicine 469 Core Performance Standards for Admissions and Progress for all College of Dental Medicine Students and Residents The Nova Southeastern University Health Professions Division and NSU’s College of Dental Medicine are pledged to the admission and matriculation of qualified students and wish to acknowledge awareness of laws that prohibit discrimination against anyone on the basis of race, color, religion or creed, sex, pregnancy status, national or ethnic origin, nondisqualifying disability, age, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, military service, veteran status, or political beliefs or affiliations. Regarding those students with verifiable disabilities, the university will not discriminate against such individuals who are otherwise qualified, but will expect applicants and students to meet certain minimal technical standards (core performance standards) as set forth herein, with or without reasonable accommodation. In adopting these standards, the university believes it must keep in mind the ultimate safety of the patients whom its graduates will eventually serve, as well as the efficacy and safety in the learning environment. The standards reflect what the university believes are reasonable expectations required of health professions students and personnel in performing common functions. Any exceptions to such standards must be approved by the dean of the student’s particular college, based upon appropriate circumstances. The holders of health care degrees must have the knowledge and skills to function in a broad variety of clinical situations and to render a wide spectrum of patient care. In order to carry out the activities described below, candidates for Health Professions Division degrees must be able to integrate consistently, quickly, and accurately all information received, and they must have the ability to learn, integrate, analyze, and synthesize data. Honor and integrity of the health professions student and health care professional are essential and dependent upon the exemplary behavior of individual health care providers in their relations with patients, faculty and staff members, and colleagues. This includes accountability to oneself and to relationships with fellow students, future colleagues, staff and faculty members, members of the general public, and patients who come under the student’s care or contribute to the student’s training and growth. This applies to personal conduct that reflects on the student’s honesty and integrity in both academic and nonacademic settings, whether or not involving an NSU-sponsored activity. All students must have the capacity to manage their lives and anticipate their own needs. Upon accepting admission to NSU, each student subscribes to, and pledges complete observance to, NSU’s Student Code of Conduct Policies. A violation of these standards is an abuse of the trust placed in every student and could lead to suspension or dismissal. Candidates for degrees offered by the Health Professions Division must have, with or without reasonable accommodation, multiple abilities and skills including intellectual, conceptual, integrative, and quantitative abilities; interpersonal communication; mobility and strength; motor skills; and hearing, visual, tactile, behavioral, and social attributes. Candidates for admission and progression must be able to perform these abilities and skills in a reasonably independent manner. Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative, and Qualitative Abilities These abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis. Problem solving—a critical skill— requires all of these intellectual abilities. Candidates and students must have critical thinking ability sufficient for good clinical judgment. This is necessary to identify cause/ effect relationships in clinical situations and to develop plans of care. In addition, candidates and students should be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures. An individual is expected to be able to perform multiple tasks in a diverse, dynamic, highly competitive, and challenging learning environment. Examples include, but are not limited to, identification of cause/effect relationships in clinical situations, development of treatment plans, transferring knowledge from one situation to another, evaluating outcomes, problem solving, prioritizing, and using short- and long-term memory. They must be able to think quickly and accurately in an organized manner, despite environmental distractions. All individuals are expected to meet their program requirements on a satisfactory level as determined by HPD administration or the applicable college/program administration. Visual Candidates and students must have visual ability sufficient for observation, assessment, and rendering of treatment necessary in patient care. It must be consistent in many cases with being able to assess asymmetry, range of motion, and tissue texture changes. Dental medicine students must have sufficient visual ability to use dental instruments. It is necessary to have adequate visual capabilities for proper evaluation and treatment integration. Candidates and students must be able to observe the patient and the patient’s responses, including body language and features of the examination and treatment. Students must be able to read and write prescriptions, consultation letters, patient information, and dental product information. Dental medicine students must be able to observe a patient accurately, at a distance and close up, interpreting nonverbal communications, while performing dental procedures or administering medications. A student must be able to perform dental examinations and treatments that require the use of sight and touch. The student must be able to see fine detail, focus at a variety of distances, and
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