Competency-based medical education (CBME) has been defined as is an outcomes-based approach to the design, implementation, assessment and evaluation of a medical education program using an organizing framework of competencies. One competency framework frequently utilized for this purpose is the ACGME Six General Competencies. The outcome has evolved to include meeting the needs of our highly complex and evolving health care system. One example of this outcome would be to prepare students to meet the goals of the Institute of Medicine’s Triple Aim. To ensure that students are progressing towards appropriate levels of competence, the graduate medical education community has created sets of developmental milestones that define the knowledge, skill and attitudes that define the six general competencies. This community has also embraced the concept of entrustment (Entrustable Professional Activities) as a strategy to inform the work-based assessment of trainees.
This presentation will review basic definitions of CBME, will discuss how milestones and entrustment are being used in graduate medical education and will introduce how these strategies might apply to undergraduate medical education.
William F. Iobst, MD, a board certified rheumatologist, is currently the Vice President for Academic and Clinical Affairs and Vice Dean at the Commonwealth Medical College. Prior to this position, he served as Vice President of Academic Affairs for the American Board of Internal Medicine. In that capacity, Dr. Iobst developed outreach activities with residency and fellowship training programs to enhance the standard of assessment of competence. He also oversaw the credentialing of ABIM diplomates. In addition to serving as the ABIM ex-officio representative to the ACGME IM RRC, he worked closely with the internal medicine education community to develop competency-based milestones and frameworks for evaluating competency having chaired the ABIM/ACGME Internal Medicine Milestones Writing Group. He also oversaw the development of the Internal Medicine Subspecialty Milestones.