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Fostering an Exemplary Learning Environment

For students in the College of Medicine, the clinical learning environment sets the stage and the standards for you to become tomorrow’s exemplary physicians. SUNY Downstate’s College of Medicine strives to provide a positive, inclusive environment that is conducive to teaching and learning and embodies the core values of excellence, respect, integrity, diversity, inclusivity and cooperation. All members of the College of Medicine community – resident trainees, faculty, staff and students – all work together to uphold the domain of professionalism.

Professionalism encompasses a number of virtues expressed in the following attitudes:

  • Excellence:  a desire to maintain a standard of knowledge and competence that exceeds ordinary expectations, and includes a commitment to lifelong learning. 
  • Altruism: readiness to place the interests of others above one’s own.  
  • Compassion: empathy combined with a desire to correct the cause of the problem.  
  • Duty: preparedness to behave conscientiously or reliably and responsibly with respect to rules and schedules. 
  • Accountability: accepting responsibility for one’s behavior toward patients, colleagues, students, faculty, residents, the profession, and the public.
  • Honor and Integrity: “honor” is the consistent regard for the highest standards of behavior and “integrity” is the refusal to violate the code of professionalism. Possessing honor and integrity implies being fair, being truthful, keeping one’s word, meeting commitments and being straightforward. In addition to personally upholding these standards, physicians, faculty, students, administrators and staff are obligated to encourage professionalism on the part of one’s colleagues and report lapses in professional conduct on the part of others. Honesty and integrity in research, patient care, educational programs and community engagement hold the highest priority.
  • Respect: readiness to treat others – including patients, residents, colleagues, staff and faculty – with consideration for their rights and interests. 

Policy Links

Professionalism policy

Mistreatment policy

Antidiscrimination policy

Honor Code