Graduates of Washington University with a Doctor of Medicine degree are expected to have broad competence in the basic skills that underlie the general practice of medicine and surgery. All graduates must be able to take a history, examine a person, synthesize the findings into a diagnosis and plan of evaluation and treatment independently. Thus, medical students must possess the requisite sensory, motor, communicative and cognitive capabilities to accomplish these requirements in a reliable manner in order to be competent and safe medical practitioners.