Toward a shared language for competency-based medical education

Abstract

The paradigm shift brought about by the advent of competency-based medical education (CBME) can be characterized as an adaptive change. Currently, its development and implementation suffer from the lack of a lingua franca. A shared language is needed to support collaboration and dissemination across the world community of medical educators. The International CBME Collaborators held a second summit in 2013 to explore this and other contemporary CBME issues. We present the resulting International CBME Collaborator’s glossary of CBME terms. Particular attention is given to the terms competency, entrustable professional activity (EPA), and milestone and their interrelationships. Medical education scholars and enthusiasts of the competency-based approach are encouraged to adopt these terms and definitions, although no doubt the vocabulary of CBME will continue to evolve.

Disclosure statement

The supplement coeditors and authors declare that they have no competing interests. Resources and secretariat support for this project was provided by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

Notes on contributors

Robert Englander, MD, is an Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education University of Minnesota School of Medicine, USA.

Jason R. Frank, MD, is the 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.

Carol Carraccio, MD, is the Vice President, Competency-Based Assessment, American Board of Pediatrics, USA.

Jonathan Sherbino, MD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, McMaster University, and an Assistant Dean with Program for Education Research and Development, McMaster University, Canada.

Shelley Ross, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Director of Research and Innovation, Competency-Based Achievement System Program, in the Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Canada.

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