def get_model_fields(model):
    return model._meta.fields

fields = model._meta.get_fields()
my_field = model._meta.get_field('my_field')

opts = model._meta
for f in sorted(opts.fields + opts.many_to_many):
    print '%s: %s' % (f.name, f)

>>> from django.contrib.auth.models import User
    >>> User._meta.get_fields()

def get_model_fields(model):
  fields = {}
  options = model._meta
  for field in sorted(options.concrete_fields + options.many_to_many + options.virtual_fields):
    fields[field.name] = field
  return fields

fields = Model._meta.fields

In [11]: from django.contrib.auth.models import User

In [12]: User._meta.get_fields()
Out[12]:
(<ManyToOneRel: admin.logentry>,
 <django.db.models.fields.AutoField: id>,
 <django.db.models.fields.CharField: password>,
 <django.db.models.fields.DateTimeField: last_login>,
 <django.db.models.fields.BooleanField: is_superuser>,
 <django.db.models.fields.CharField: username>,
 <django.db.models.fields.CharField: first_name>,
 <django.db.models.fields.CharField: last_name>,
 <django.db.models.fields.EmailField: email>,
 <django.db.models.fields.BooleanField: is_staff>,
 <django.db.models.fields.BooleanField: is_active>,
 <django.db.models.fields.DateTimeField: date_joined>,
 <django.db.models.fields.related.ManyToManyField: groups>,
 <django.db.models.fields.related.ManyToManyField: user_permissions>)

In [13]: [field.name for field in User._meta.get_fields()]
Out[13]:
['logentry',
 'id',
 'password',
 'last_login',
 'is_superuser',
 'username',
 'first_name',
 'last_name',
 'email',
 'is_staff',
 'is_active',
 'date_joined',
 'groups',
 'user_permissions']

class MyModelAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
    # extending change_view, just as an example
    def change_view(self, request, object_id=None, form_url='', extra_context=None):
        # get the model field names
        field_names = self.get_fields(request)
        # use the field names
        ...