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Competency Perspective on Teaching
- Teaching/Learning Is Criteria Driven and Focused On Accountability
With the advent of the ACGME competencies, it is likely that residents as well as practicing physicians will be asked to meet performance-based, competency standards when applying for licensure and re-licensure. Because the accreditation process is now more focused on setting, achieving, and maintaining standards, instruction should be designed in careful alignment with the identified outcomes or competencies. Explicit rather than general instruction should predominate, helping learners to place new information into a form that is useful in practice.
- Although “accountability” is gauged primarily through assessment tools, instruction that provides benchmarks and promotes feedback, self-assessment, consideration of clinical evidence, and the prudent use of practice guidelines leads to an “accountability mindset” in the program and its faculty and residents.
- In a competency-based educational system, residents are measured against clear criteria rather than against one another. This practice reduces subjectivity and competitive pressure. Thus it is easier for residents to work cooperatively and become resources for one another as they strive to meet standards.
- Determining performance criteria will be a challenge since evidence-based gold standards for resident performance in the competency areas generally are not available. Faculty, therefore, will need to use their best judgment, the consensus of their peers, and criteria-like resources that are available, such as evidence-based clinical guidelines.
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