Twelve tips to maximize the value of a clinical competency committee in postgraduate medical education

Abstract

Medical education has shifted to a competency-based paradigm, leading to calls for improved learner assessment methods and validity evidence for how assessment data are interpreted. Clinical competency committees (CCCs) use the collective input of multiple people to improve the validity and reliability of decisions made and actions taken based on assessment data. Significant heterogeneity in CCC structure and function exists across postgraduate medical education programs and specialties, and while there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach, there are ways to maximize value for learners and programs. This paper collates available evidence and the authors’ experiences to provide practical tips on CCC purpose, membership, processes, and outputs. These tips can benefit programs looking to start a CCC and those that are improving their current CCC processes.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the International Competency-based Medical Education (ICBME) Collaborators webinar series for bringing the authors together and serving as the genesis for the development of this manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Benjamin Kinnear

Benjamin Kinnear, MD, is the Assistant Program Director for the Med-Peds residency and Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at University of Cincinnati.

Eric J. Warm

Eric J. Warm, MD, is the Program Director for the Internal Medicine residency and Richard W. Vilter Professor of Medicine at University of Cincinnati.

Karen E. Hauer

Karen E. Hauer, MD, PhD, is the Associate Dean of Competency Assessment and Professional Standards and Professor of Medicine in the School of Medicine at University of California, San Francisco.