Competent Learners make Competent Doctors

- Submitted by Dr. Rahul Mainra – Director UGME

Competency By Design (CBD) has taken deep roots in our post-grad training programs and is now gearing up in undergraduate medical education.

Dr. Sharon Card gave a wonderful Grand Rounds on Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA) in post-grad residency education. Take home points which resonated with many included using the term “Readiness” instead of “Trustable.” Is your medical student “Ready” to do a history and physical exam on their own or do they need you to be present?

EPA for medical student are mandatory assessments that our learners must achieve. Think out of the box when you are trying to obtain these EPA; perhaps it is a just the cardiac history that you observe or only the respiratory exam. You can do as many EPA with them as you want, so break it up into manageable components.

In the end, it is the directly observed activity of the medical student or senior resident that we use to determine their competency and readiness. Of course, have fun and provide feedback that is timely and accountable for the learner.