Designing and Implementing a Competency-Based Training Program for Anesthesiology Residents at the University of Ottawa.

Emma J Stodel,Michelle Chiu,Stéphane Moffett,Christopher C C Hudson,Anna Wyand,Simone Crooks

doi:10.1155/2015/713038

Abstract

Competency-based medical education is gaining traction as a solution to address the challenges associated with the current time-based models of physician training. Competency-based medical education is an outcomes-based approach that involves identifying the abilities required of physicians and then designing the curriculum to support the achievement and assessment of these competencies. This paradigm defies the assumption that competence is achieved based on time spent on rotations and instead requires residents to demonstrate competence. The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) has launched Competence by Design (CBD), a competency-based approach for residency training and specialty practice. The first residents to be trained within this model will be those in medical oncology and otolaryngology-head and neck surgery in July, 2016. However, with approval from the RCPSC, the Department of Anesthesiology, University of Ottawa, launched an innovative competency-based residency training program July 1, 2015. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the program and offer a blueprint for other programs planning similar curricular reform. The program is structured according to the RCPSC CBD stages and addresses all CanMEDS roles. While our program retains some aspects of the traditional design, we have made many transformational changes.

Highlights

Around the world, medical education is undergoing a major transformation
The program is structured according to the RCPSC Competence by Design (CBD) stages and addresses all CanMEDS roles
While our program retains some aspects of the traditional design, we have made many transformational changes

Summary

Introduction

Medical education is undergoing a major transformation. Calls for reform in how physicians are trained are longstanding [1]. In many of the current systems, programs define the successful completion of training based on the length of time a trainee is in a program, assuming that trainees will develop the required competencies to practice after a predetermined amount of time Factors such as the restrictions around resident duty hours [2], pressure to reduce costs associated with resident training [3], and the need for improved accountability for patient safety [4] have led many countries to consider a competency-based approach to medical education. Competency-based medical education is an outcomes-based approach that involves identifying the abilities required of the physician and designing the curriculum to support the achievement of these predefined competencies This paradigm defies the assumption that competence to practice as a fully rounded physician is achieved based on time spent on rotations, that is, through an on-thejob training and/or apprenticeship model [5], and instead requires residents to demonstrate the competencies deemed necessary for patient care. This may require more time than the typical programs, while others may be able to accelerate their training and enter the workforce earlier and/or engage in further specialized training

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion