Technical Standards

The Colleges of Graduate Studies, Health Professions, Medicine, and Nursing of the SUNY Upstate Medical University strive to select students who possess the intelligence, integrity, and personal and emotional characteristics that are considered necessary to become effective health professionals or biomedical scientists.

Students admitted to the University should have the intellectual and physical abilities to acquire the knowledge, beyond skills taught in each program of study. The curricula are designed to provide the general education necessary for the students selected field.

Students will

• learn the fundamental principles
• develop critical judgement
• apply principles and skills wisely in solving scientific and health related problems

Curricular goals and/or minimal graduation requirements have been developed to fulfill these objectives and to prepare graduates to pursue further education, if desired.

In addition to satisfactory academic performance in all course work, students are expected to fulfill the nonacademic essential functions of the curriculum in a reasonably independent manner. These functions are specified by the physical, cognitive, and behavioral standards (referred to collectively as technical standards) necessary for the completion of the program. Technical standards for each program in the College of Health Professions can be found by linking to each program.

SUNY Upstate Medical University will consider for admission and advancement any individual able to perform pursuant to the standards, which are used as guidelines. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to qualified individuals with a disability in accordance with applicable laws and policies, while maintaining the integrity of program standards. Requests for accommodations will be determined on a case by case basis.

Graduates are prepared for roles in patient care, research and other aspects of the profession, such as quality control, management and teaching.

Students are expected to master the technical standards of their program.

• Acquire information from demonstrations and experiences in the basic and clinical sciences, including but not limited to information conveyed through lectures, laboratory dissection, demonstrations, discussions and clinical experiences.
• Acquire information from written documents and computer information systems and identify information presented in images from paper, videos, computers, radiographs, transparencies and slides.
• Establish procedures for collecting and processing biological specimens for analysis.
• Perform analytical tests on body fluids, cells and products.
• Integrate and relate data generated by the various clinical laboratory departments while making judgements regarding possible discrepancies: confirm abnormal results, verify quality control procedures, and develop solutions to problems concerning the generation of laboratory data.
• Make judgements about the results of quality measures and institute proper procedures to maintain accuracy and precision.
• Establish and perform preventative and corrective maintenance of equipment and instruments as well as identify appropriate sources for repairs.
• Evaluate new techniques, instruments and procedures in terms of their usefulness and practicality within the context of a given laboratory's personnel, equipment, space and budgetary resources.
• Utilize intellectual ability, exercise proper judgement, timely and accurately complete responsibilities intrinsic in biomedical research.
• Develop effective and appropriate relationships with colleagues,coworkers and relevant others.
• Adapt and function effectively under the various circumstances and rigors which are inherent in Medical Biotechnology.
• Communicate effectively and efficiently as called for under the circumstances.
• Comply with laboratory safety measures and regulation, practice universal precautions against contamination and cross-contamination with infectious pathogens (e.g. wearing personal protective equipment, working with sharp objects and hazardous chemicals).