The LMU-CVM has established technical standards and essential functions required to complete the DVM or VMT degree which provide a framework to balance several competing interests including (1) the rights of candidates; (2) the safety of candidates, their colleagues, and veterinary patients; (3) the significant clinical and professional skills training component of the LMU-CVM curricula; (4) the requirements imposed upon the LMU-CVM for program accreditation; and (5) the conditions for licensure of LMU-CVM graduates. For purposes of this policy, the term Candidate refers to candidates for admission, enrolled students who are candidates for promotion and graduation, and visiting students.
The technical standards and essential functions established by the faculty require that all candidates possess the physical, cognitive, and behavioral abilities necessary to complete all required aspects of the curriculum and are, therefore, requirements for admission, promotion, and graduation. Although these technical standards and essential functions serve to delineate the necessary minimum physical and mental abilities of all candidates, they are not intended to deter any candidate for whom reasonable accommodation will allow completion of the DVM and VMT curricula. The LMU-CVM does not discriminate on the basis of disability and will make reasonable academic accommodations to facilitate enrollment and participation of qualified individuals with disabilities so long as those accommodations do not 1) fundamentally alter the educational program, 2) pose a direct threat to the student, patients, or others, or 3) otherwise create an undue hardship on the LMU-CVM.
All candidates for admission will be considered without regard to their disability status. All candidates receive a copy of the Technical Standards & Essential Functions policy in the LMU-CVM supplemental portion of the application. Admission to LMU-CVM is conditioned upon a candidate's ability to perform the essential functions with or without accommodation and meet the technical standards. Candidates are required to acknowledge their understanding of the Technical Standards & Essential Functions policy and certify their ability to perform the essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation to meet the LMU-CVM technical standards. The Acknowledgement and Certification Form must be returned with the Acceptance of Admissions form and deposit.
Candidates must be able to meet the following technical standards and perform all the following essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation:
Observational Skills Standard
Candidates must be able to observe and participate actively in lectures, laboratories, and demonstrations, in the pre-clinical and clinical curriculum. In the clinical skills courses and during the clinical year, candidates must be able to assess, monitor, and treat patients based on observation both close at hand and at a distance.
Essential functions required to meet this technical standard include, but are not limited to:
- Observe gross anatomic and pathological specimens.
- Perform diagnostic microscopy.
- Observe changes in physical appearance in patients as part of clinical examination.
- Recognize alteration in patients' condition based on body language.
- Obtain vital physical information from a patient through auscultation, palpation, olfactory differentiation, and manipulation.
- Use of vision, somatic sensation, and hearing, including distinguishing the origin of sound from multiple patients in an area or observing signs of distress or aggression.
Communication Skills Standard
Candidates must be able to speak understandably and to hear sufficiently in order to obtain and disseminate information from and to clients, colleagues, and veterinary medical professionals.
Essential functions required to meet this technical standard include, but are not limited to:
- Ability to communicate effectively, efficiently, and sensitively either naturally or through an assistive device utilizing verbal, non-verbal, and written communication.
- Ability to communicate during surgical procedures in loud environments while participants are wearing surgical masks. The primary language of instruction will be English.
Motor Skills Standard
Candidates must possess sufficient physical strength and coordination to perform daily veterinary functions. In addition, candidates must be able to demonstrate large/gross motor skills needed to perform various daily functions.
Essential functions required to meet this technical standard include, but are not limited to:
- Fine motor tasks, such as diagnostic microscopy, surgical and anatomical instrument handling, palpation of pulses, tendons, bones, and lesions, and patient restraint
- Gross motor tasks, such as movement from danger when handling a patient in variable settings to include confined areas or outdoor pastures; standing for a minimum for two (2) hours, and safe restraint of patients ranging from less than 1-kg to more than 800-kg.
- Physical ability to routinely lift objects and/or animals weighing up to 10-kg to a height of 1 meter.
- Physical ability to occasionally lift objects and/or animals weighing 20-kg to a height of 1 meter.
- Physical ability to carry objects and/or animals weighing 20-kg for a distance of at least 2 meters.
Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities Standard
Problem solving is a critical skill required of veterinary medical professionals. Candidates must be able to comprehend three dimensional relationships and understand the spatial relationships of structures. Essential functions required to meet this technical standard include, but are not limited to:
- Independently and accurately calculate algebraic equations in a timely manner,
- Reason, analyze, and synthesize information and significant findings from a history, physical examination, or lab data obtained from patients, clients and colleagues in order to provide a reasoned diagnosis.
- Recall and retain information in settings where reference materials are unavailable
Behavior and Social Attributes Standard
Candidates must possess emotional health and maturity needed for full utilization of intellectual abilities and good judgment as it relates to patient diagnosis and care.
Essential functions required to meet this technical standard include, but are not limited to:
- Develop relationships which are mature, sensitive, and effective through interactions with clients, colleagues, and veterinary medical professionals.
- Tolerate strenuous workloads under physically and/or mentally stressful conditions and adapt to changing environments and situations.
- Function in the above manner for continuous periods of time longer than eight (8) hours.
- Manage a high case load with multitasking.
- Make timely decisions during emergency situations.
- Maintain collegial behavior in all official academic, extracurricular, and social functions of the LMU CVM.
- Contribute to a positive work and study atmosphere by reinforcing and promoting a non-threatening cultural environment.
Candidates who may need accommodations to perform essential functions and meet the technical standards are responsible for contacting the Lincoln Memorial University Office of Accessible Education Services (423.869.6587) to request accommodations. The Office of Accessible Education Services and LMU-CVM will engage in an interactive process with the candidate to identify reasonable accommodations that may allow the candidate to complete all required aspects of the curriculum in accordance with LMU's Accessible Education Services Accommodations Policy and Procedure.
Candidates who are unable to perform an essential function with or without accommodation or are unable to meet a technical standard as determined by LMU-CVM will have their admission rescinded or will be administratively withdrawn from the D.V.M. program. Candidates will be notified in writing of the rescission of admission or administrative withdrawal.
Appeal Procedure for Technical Standards and Essential Functions:
Only candidates who have been administratively withdrawn may request an appeal. Candidates requesting an appeal may seek an independent medical evaluation by a qualified professional of the candidate's choice to assess the candidate's ability to perform the essential function(s) and/or meet the technical standard(s) in question. The evaluation would be at the student's expense.
To request an appeal, candidates must submit their request to appeal in writing that must include the basis of the appeal, the essential function(s) and/or technical standard(s) in question, and a request for a hearing. The request to appeal must be submitted to the Dean of LMU-CVM within five (5) working days of the notification of administrative withdrawal. Incomplete or late requests will not be accepted.
The appeals board shall be chaired by either the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions or the Associate Dean of Clinical Sciences. The Chair shall serve as a non-voting member of the board, except in the event of a tie vote. The voting members of the board shall include a veterinary student who is of equal or greater academic year as the candidate; a faculty member whose academic/professional discipline best encompasses the technical standards and essential functions in question; and a representative from each of the following committees: Admissions Committee; Outcomes and Assessment Committee; Student Progress Committee; and Curriculum Committee.
The membership of the appeals board cannot include any individual who was involved in the decision to administratively withdraw the candidate. In the event of a conflict involving a member of the appeals board, the member must be recused, and a new member appointed by the Chair. In the event of a conflict involving the Chair, the Chair must be recused, and a new Chair appointed by the LMU-CVM Dean.
A hearing shall be conducted within ten (10) working days of receipt of the request to appeal. At the hearing, the members of the appeals board, the candidate, a designated representative of LMU-CVM, and a designated representative from the Office of Accessible Education Services shall be present. The candidate may bring a non-attorney advisor to the hearing, but the advisor is prohibited from participating in the hearing. The Chair shall preside over the hearing. The appeals board will allow and consider relevant testimony and documentary evidence, including an independent medical evaluation from a qualified professional, from the candidate, the designated representative of LMU-CVM, and the designated representative of the Office of Accessible Education Services. The Candidate may be requested to perform the essential function(s) and/or technical standard(s) in question during the hearing. The hearing will be recorded, and the recording will be kept on file for one (1) year.
Upon conclusion of the hearing, the appeals board will deliberate in a closed session and vote to either affirm or overturn the decision to administratively withdraw the candidate. A decision must be made by majority vote. In the event of a tie, the Chair will serve as the tiebreaker. The decision will be communicated in writing to the candidate. The decision of the appeals board is final, and there is no further right of appeal.
Any questions regarding this policy should be directed to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions.
Lincoln Memorial University-College of Veterinary Medicine would like to acknowledge the following institutions, whose technical standards policies were reviewed or considered in drafting this policy:
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University
- College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University
- College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University
- University of Wisconsin Medical School
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University
- UNC Medical School, Physical Therapy Program
- Mayo Medical School
- University of Minnesota Medical School
- Tufts University Medical School