Competency-based medical education – an outcomes-based approach to the design, implementation, assessment and evaluation of a medical education program using an organizing framework of competencies.
Competency – an observable ability of a health professional related to a specific activity that integrates knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes.
- Since they are observable, they can be measured and assessed.
- They can be assembled like building blocks to facilitate progressive development.
Competence – possessing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes across multiple domains or aspects of performance in a certain context. Statements about competence require descriptive qualifiers to define the relevant abilities, context, and stage of training.
- Competence is multi-dimensional and dynamic, changing with time, experience, and setting.
Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) – the specific knowledge, skills and attitudes acquired over the course of training that society and our profession believe are critical to performing as a physician. EPAs are defined by milestones in each competency.
Milestone – a significant point in development and helps to define the appropriate developmental trajectory of a trainee. Milestones identify the discrete knowledge, skills, and attitudes expected of learners as they progress through training.
Narrative – standardized descriptions that will be used to identify and describe residents as they move toward competence in a category or EPA. Program directors will NOT be asked to write individual narratives about each resident