concurring and dissenting:
I concur in the affirmance of summary judgment in favor of the Medical College of Pennsylvania (MCP) on Nathanson’s state tort claims, but I dissent from the reversal of summary judgment for MCP on Nathan-son’s claims under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, 29 U.S.C. § 794.
I.
As the majority notes (Typescript at 26), a plaintiff asserting a claim under Section *1393504 must prove (1) that he or she is handicapped, (2) that he or she is “otherwise qualified” for participation in the program at issue, (3) that the program receives federal financial assistance, and (4) that he or she was “excluded from participation in,” “denied the benefits of,” or “subjected to discrimination” under that program. I agree with the majority that the first three elements were satisfied for present purposes, but I do not believe that Nathanson made an adequate showing with respect to the final element, which represents the heart of Section 504.
The final element of Section 504 may be satisfied by establishing that the defendant literally excluded the plaintiff from participation in its program, denied the plaintiff the benefits of its program, or subjected the plaintiff to discrimination under its program. Alternatively, the final element may be satisfied by showing that the defendant unreasonably refused to accommodate the plaintiffs handicap. Southeastern Community College v. Davis, 442 U.S. 397, 412-13, 99 S.Ct. 2361, 2370, 60 L.Ed.2d 980 (1979). A grantee’s duty to provide “reasonable accommodation” may necessitate some special steps to meet the needs of handicapped persons, but it does not require modifications that would impose “undue financial and administrative burdens” or have a “substantial” effect on standards. Id. See also, e.g., School Board of Nassau County v. Arline, 480 U.S. 273, 287-88, 107 S.Ct. 1123, 1130-31, 94 L.Ed.2d 307 (1987); Alexander v. Choate, 469 U.S. 287, 299-302, 105 S.Ct. 712, 719-721, 83 L.Ed.2d 661 (1985); Americans Disabled for Accessible Public Transportation v. Skinner, 881 F.2d 1184, 1191-92 (3d Cir.1990); Strathie v. Department of Transportation, 716 F.2d 227, 230-31 (3d Cir.1983). In the present case, Nathanson’s complaint rests entirely upon the theory that MCP unreasonably refused to accommodate her needs by failing to provide a suitable chair for use during classes, but the summary judgment record establishes that MCP acted reasonably at every stage of this unusual ease.
II.
When MCP moved for summary judgment after adequate time for discovery, the district court was obligated to grant that motion unless Nathanson had made a showing sufficient to establish every critical element of her Section 504 claims. Celetox Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 322, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 2552, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986). In my view, Nathanson failed to meet this burden with respect to either of her Section 504 claims — which were based, respectively, upon her first voluntary withdrawal in the fall of 1985 and her second voluntary withdrawal in the fall of 1986.
A. Events Leading to Nathanson’s Withdrawal in the Fall of 1985. Nathan-son began classes at MCP on September 4, 1985, but stopped after September 9. On September 12, she met with Dr. Andrew Beasley, MCP’s Associate Dean of Student Affairs, and orally requested a one-year deferral; she repeated this request, which MCP granted, in a letter to Dr. Beasley dated September 13. The parties strenuously contest whether Nathanson asked Dr. Beasley to provide a different kind of chair during their meeting on September 12. But even assuming that the record is sufficient to establish that Nathanson made this request, I believe that Nathan-son nevertheless failed to establish that MCP acted unreasonably because she did not show that she could have continued attending classes if a suitable chair had been provided. On the contrary, her own words reveal that she could not have continued. I cannot believe that MCP’s duty to provide reasonable accommodation required the school to obtain and install a special chair for a student who could not have used the chair at the time and might never have returned.1
Nathanson’s reasons for seeking a one-year deferral were fully and unambiguously set out in her letter to Dr. Beasley, *1394which read as follows ((App. 217) (emphasis added)):
Dear Dr. Beasley:
I would like to request permission to defer beginning Freshman classes at the Medical College of Pennsylvania for one year. My reason for asking is the increased pain and spasm I have been experiencing in my neck and shoulders, since trying to attend and take notes in class for 6-7 hours per day.
I had been in a car accident several years ago, injuring my neck, back, and shoulders and have made major strides in terms of recovery each year. Based on my performance under a full-time load last spring, I truly believed that I was physically prepared to handle the burden of a medical curriculum. Sadly this has not been so, each day the situation has worsened in terms of my pain and fatigue and I do not believe my physical condition is good enough to proceed successfully.
I do have reason to hope (based on each year’s progress) that by this time next year I will recover sufficiently in strength and endurance. In addition, before starting next fall I would have the opportunity to consider modification of my surroundings in order to reduce the strain on my neck during classes. I would, as you suggested, either formally or informally continue course work during the year to keep my knowledge current and my study skills sharp.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
/s/ Jayne G. Nathanson
This letter fails to show that MCP’s refusal to provide alternative seating necessitated Nathanson’s request for a deferral. On the contrary, the letter unmistakably suggests that her request for a deferral was dictated by health problems that could not have been solved simply by providing a different chair. Nathanson unequivocally wrote: “I do not believe my physical condition is good enough to proceed successfully.” She stated: “I truly believed that I was physically prepared to handle the burden of a medical curriculum. Sadly this has not been so.... ” She added: “I do have reason to hope ... that by this time next year I will recover sufficiently in strength and endurance.” These are Na-thanson’s own words, written at the time in question, and they plainly do not show that she could have continued attending classes in the fall of 1985 even if MCP had provided her with a suitable chair. Nor is there anything in Nathanson’s deposition or the remainder of the summary judgment record that is sufficient to establish that she could have continued attending classes but for the lack of a suitable chair. Thus, I believe that summary judgment for MCP on her 1985 claim was required.
B. Events Leading to Nathanson’s Withdrawal in the Fall of 1986. Nathan-son’s showing with respect to her 1986 claim, in my view, is also deficient. The events relating to this claim may be divided into three periods: first, the period from Nathanson’s acceptance of a position in the 1986 entering class until her dismissal for ethical reasons; second, the period from dismissal until reinstatement; and third, the period from reinstatement until her second voluntary withdrawal.
1. Acceptance to Dismissal. During this period MCP acted reasonably, in my view, because Nathanson by her own admission had assumed full responsibility for finding and obtaining a suitable chair.
On May 27, 1986, Nathanson wrote to Dr. Beasley and informed him that she would attend MCP that fall. In this letter she stated (App. 226) (emphasis added):
In order to attend classes it will be necessary for me to procure a special chair for lectures and conference. I am in the process of investigating, whether lecture hall chairs that I have previously used elsewhere could be modified for use at MCP. I am especially concerned about the physical arrangements for conference and laboratory. In order to have a better idea of what type of installation would be appropriate, I would like to speak with you further.
Because of this passage, Nathanson stated during her deposition that it was reasonable for Dr. Beasley to assume that she did *1395not expect MCP to do anything about a special chair until the school heard further from her. App. 170-71. In light of this testimony, MCP’s failure to attempt to obtain a special chair during this period was clearly reasonable and did not violate Section 504.2
2. Dismissal to Reinstatement. During this period, I believe that MCP had no obligation to look for, obtain, or install a special chair because Nathanson had been expelled for ethical reasons. During the summer of 1986, MCP learned that Nathan-son had accepted a student spot at the Georgetown University School of Medicine, as well as at MCP. The MCP Student Promotions Committee consequently voted to dismiss her for misrepresentations and wrongful failure to disclose her acceptance of Georgetown’s offer. On August 21, Na-thanson met with Dr. Beasley and another member of the faculty regarding the procedure for appealing her dismissal. During this meeting, Nathanson stated that she would require special parking privileges and seating accommodations in order to attend MCP, and Dr. Beasley stated that MCP “would do the best it could do to help her.” App. 213.
At this time, however, Nathanson had been dismissed for ethical reasons. As long as she remained in that status, MCP could reasonably regard her as not “otherwise qualified” to be a medical student3 and could reasonably decline to take steps to accommodate her handicap. In my view, Section 504 plainly did not require MCP to take steps to accommodate a student it had just expelled on ethical grounds.
3. Reinstatement to Voluntary Withdrawal. I believe that Nathanson failed to show that MCP acted unreasonably during this final period because she failed to establish that MCP could have reasonably accommodated her needs within the time available.
The appeal hearing, which was postponed at the request of Nathanson’s attorney, took place on September 2, the day before classes were scheduled to begin. After the hearing, the Committee decided to reinstate Nathanson, and Dr. Beasley left a message at her home informing her of the decision that afternoon. On September 3, Nathan-son registered at MCP. According to Na-thanson’s deposition, she had spoken with a chair company about ordering a special chair but had learned that her order could not be filled in less than about one month. App. 184, 186. Consequently, after registering, she approached Dr. Beasley at about 5:00 P.M. (App.187) and, according to her deposition, the following occurred. She told Dr. Beasley that she was waiting for a return call from the chair company so that she could find out whether the company had a sample that she could get immediately. App. 188. She asked Dr. Beasley whether he could help her “get some chairs and tables, whatever,” for the lecture hall and conference room. Id. Confronted with this request for an immediate solution, Dr. Beasley told her to look around the MCP facilities and “see what [she] could find.” Id. In her deposition, Na-thanson said she looked around, found nothing suitable, and informed Beasley, who shrugged his shoulders. App. 189-90. Nathanson then went home and wrote to MCP on September 5 withdrawing from the entering class. App. 193-94, 255.
In light of these facts, I simply do not understand what MCP was supposed to have done between the time of Nathanson’s reinstatement on September 2 and her conversation with Dr. Beasley on September 3 or her withdrawal on September 5. Na-thanson had communicated with a chair company about ordering an acceptable *1396chair but had learned that none could be obtained in less than about a month. She presented no evidence that MCP could have obtained this chair from the company any sooner. She presented no evidence that MCP could have quickly obtained a suitable chair from any other source, and any such suggestion is belied by her own apparent inability to find any readier source of supply, although she had assumed the responsibility for procuring such a chair as early as May. She likewise presented no evidence that MCP could have quickly arranged for the construction of a special chair to meet her needs. In short, the record is devoid of any evidence that MCP could have reasonably accommodated Na-thanson’s needs between September 2 and September 5 — or at any time prior to the date on which her special order from the chair company would have arrived.4
In my judgment, Nathanson failed to provide sufficient evidence that MCP acted unreasonably during any of the three periods leading up to her second voluntary withdrawal on September 5, 1986, and therefore the district court properly granted summary judgment in favor of MCP on Nathanson’s Section 504 claim relating to her 1986 withdrawal.
III.
I would affirm the judgment of the district court in all respects. MCP should not be compelled to bear the expense and risk of further litigation in this case.
. Indeed, if Nathanson's acceptance at Georgetown University School of Medicine had not been withdrawn for reasons having nothing to do with her handicap, it is likely that she never would have returned to MCP.
. Nathanson’s May 27 letter stated that she wanted to speak further with Dr. Beasley regarding "installation” of the "special chair” she was attempting to procure. Consistent with this statement, Nathanson stated in her deposition that she spoke with Dr. Beasley in June and asked for MCP's "help and cooperation” in installing the chair. Ap. 172-73. This testimony does not suggest that it was unreasonable for MCP to continue to rely on her to obtain the chair.
. "An otherwise qualified person is one who is able to meet all of a program’s requirements in spite of his handicap.” Southeastern Community College v. Davis, 442 U.S. at 406, 99 S.Ct. at 2367.
. Nathanson herself acknowledged in her complaint that there was nothing that MCP could have done at this point to accommodate her needs. Her complaint states (Amended Complaint, paragraph 26) (emphasis added):
By letter dated September 5, 1986, plaintiff advised MCP that she could not pursue her studies there because it would not be possible to modify in a timely fashion the facilities necessary for her to attend classes.