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The ACGME has directed that all residency programs assure that
each resident demonstrate 6 core competencies:
- Patient Care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective
for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health
- Medical Knowledge about established and evolving biomedical,
clinical, and cognate (e.g. epidemiological and social-behavioral)
sciences and the application of this knowledge to patient care
- Practice-Based Learning and Improvement that involves investigation
and evaluation of their own patient care, appraisal and assimilation
of scientific evidence, and improvements in patient care
- Interpersonal and Communication Skills that result in effective
information exchange and teaming with patients, their families,
and other health professionals
- Professionalism, as manifested through a commitment to carrying
out professional responsibilities, adherence to ethical principles,
and sensitivity to a diverse patient population
- Systems-Based Practice, as manifested by actions that demonstrate
an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system
of health care and the ability to effectively call on system resources
to provide care that is of optimal value"
The Residency Review Committee (RRC) for each specialty is responsible
for assuring that every residency program has a curriculum for teaching
the competencies and is beginning to develop methods for assessing
that residents have achieved them. Some RRCs have issued specific
instructions on how to assess the competencies, while others are
encouraging residency programs to develop and adapt assessment tools
to meet their individual needs. Over the next several years, residents
are encouraged to assist in the transition to more valid and reliable
methods of assessing the achievement of the core competencies. In
some cases this will mean identifying opportunities for assessments
to occur or soliciting feedback from faculty; in others it will
mean participating in direct observation and assessment of their
clinical skills. Housestaff are encouraged to actively engage their
residency programs in a discussion about the competencies and plans
for their assessment. |
