Competency development at an institutional level: Utilizing Stakeholder involvement

Majka Woods, Brad Clarke*, and Leslie Anderson: University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455 U.S.A.

PURPOSE: Through its Medical Education Development 2010 project (MED 2010), the University of Minnesota Medical School is evolving toward a system focused on learner-centered education for patient-centered care. Clearly defined competencies both support and allow for assessment of personal and professional growth. This poster focuses on the methodologies employed at the University of Minnesota to articulate the competencies for undergraduate medical students and the use of multiple stakeholders in the development process.

METHODS: While many local, national and international groups have developed competencies that serve as useful benchmarks, no single model aligned completely with our vision. We have adapted existing competencies as well as drafted new ones in order to explicitly reflect the U of MN institutional mission. The use of multiple stakeholders in an iterative development process has been a vital component of the development sequence.

RESULTS: Our resulting competency development model incorporates multiple steps and stakeholders:

1. Create cross-discipline partnerships to draft the competencies for each subject area. Draw from:

Basic Scientists

Physicians

Educators

Students

2. Allow each partnership to define its own process/starting point
3. Provide centralized Oversight Committee to clarify direction and process, remove hurdles, ensure progression
4. Arrange for multi-layered review teams

1. Internal and external reviewers
2. Reviewers from a range of health care professions

CONCLUSION/FUTURE DIRECTIONS: The project is intended to be iterative and longitudinal. Challenges, lessons learned and future steps are to be shared.