Competency-based medical education and continuing professional development: A conceptualization for change

Abstract

Competency-based medical education (CBME) is as important in continuing professional development (CPD) as at any other stage of a physician’s career. Principles of CBME have the potential to revolutionize CPD. Transitioning to CBME-based CPD will require a cultural change to gain commitment from physicians, their employers and institutions, CPD providers, professional organizations, and medical regulators. It will require learning to be aligned with professional and workplace standards. Practitioners will need to develop the expertise to systematically examine their own clinical performance data, identify performance improvement opportunities and possibilities, and develop a plan to address areas of concern. Health care facilities and systems will need to produce data on a regular basis and to develop and train CPD educators who can work with physician groups. Stakeholders, such as medical regulatory authorities who are responsible for licensing physicians and other standard-setting bodies that credential and develop maintenance-of-certification systems, will need to change their paradigm of competency enhancement through CPD.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article. Resources and secretariat support for this project were provided by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Notes on contributors

Jocelyn Lockyer, PhD, is Senior Associate Dean of Education, and Professor, Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.

Ford Bursey, MD, is Professor of Medicine (Gastroenterology), Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John’s, Canada.

Denyse Richardson, MD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, and a Clinician Educator with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Canada.

Jason R. Frank, MD, is Director, Specialty Education, Strategy and Standards in the Office of Specialty Education at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and the Director of Educational Research & Development in the Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Ottawa, Canada.

Linda Snell, MD, is Professor of Medicine and Core Faculty member, Centre for Medical and Department of General Internal Medicine, McGill University, Canada, and Senior Clinician Educator, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Canada.

Craig Campbell, MD, is Director, Continuing Professional Development, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Canada.