The school also has an ethical responsibility for the safety of patients with whom students and graduates will come in contact.
Although students learn and work under the supervision of the faculty, students interact with patients throughout their medical school education.
Patient safety and well-being are, therefore major factors in establishing requirements involving the physical, cognitive, and emotional abilities of candidates for admission, promotion, and graduation.
As a result, the medical education process, which focuses primarily on patients, differs markedly from postsecondary education in fields outside the health sciences.