All candidates must meet the health and technical standards requisite for admission and participation in the educational programs of the College. Because the D.O. degree signifies that the holder is a physician prepared for entry into the practice of medicine within postgraduate training programs, it follows that graduates must have the knowledge and skills to function in a broad variety of clinical situations and to render a wide spectrum of patient care. Technological compensation can be made for some disabilities in some of these areas, but a candidate should be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner. The use of a trained intermediary implies that the candidate's judgment must be mediated by someone else's powers of selection and observation. A candidate should be able to observe a patient accurately at a distance and close at hand.
Observation necessitates the functional use of the senses of vision and somatic sensation.
It is enhanced by the functional use of the sense of smell. A candidate should be able to speak, to hear, and to observe patients in order to elicit information, describe changes in mood, activity, and posture, and perceive nonverbal communications. A candidate should be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients. Communication includes not only speech, but also reading and writing. The candidate should be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in oral and written form with all members of a health care team.