The Benefits of Competency-Based Medical Education
Competency-based medical education (CBME) is an outcomes-based approach to medical education, which has replaced an outdated time-based approach.1 [CanadiEM, pg 2] The goal of CBME is to create physicians who are better prepared to meet the needs of today’s complex healthcare environment, where healthcare systems and patient care needs are changing dramatically.2 [Ross, pg 1,2] It is a flexible and modern style of learning that has greatly benefited the health care system during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CBME focuses on four foundations:1 [CanadiEM, pg 2]
- Focusing education on patient outcomes
- Emphasizing learner abilities
- De-emphasizing time-based learning
- Increasing individualized training plans for the learner
"Residents are more closely monitored and assessed by faculty — they progress once they have demonstrated competency."
The Benefits of CBME for Residents
CBME leverages technology to provide an improved educational experience for medical residents.4 [Queen’s University_How CBME Works, pg 3] For example:
- Individualized Learning: Residents receive more supervision, assessment, and mentorship
- Increased Flexibility: Residents moving at an accelerated pace have more opportunity to explore electives and research
- Innovative Assessments: New electronic assessment systems offer personalized portfolios, competency-based assessment tools, and increased frequency of assessment
- Meaningful Feedback: Residents get real-time feedback utilizing mobile technology
- Preparedness for Practice: With the potential to accelerate the learning process, CBME learners may be prepared to sit for their final examinations six months to one year earlier
"CBME has also allowed me to target specific skills most relevant to my chosen career path. For example, knowing that I want to become a palliative care specialist, one of my supervisors sought opportunities to evaluate me and provide feedback on specific skills related to the specialty."
The Benefits of CBME for Patients5
[Queen’s University_What does CBME mean to you?, pg 1,2]
- Patient-Centered Care: Resident training is much more focused on patient care
- Resident Assessments: The patient may be able to contribute to resident assessments
- Physician Accountability: Greater accountability for patient care due to improved documentation and real-time assessments
The Benefits of CBME for Faculty5
[Queen’s University_What does CBME mean to you?, pg 2]
- Real-Time Assessments: Residents are assessed real-time
- Learner-Driven: Assessments and summary reports allow residents to take responsibility for their own progress
- Well-Defined Learning Outcomes: CBME’s framework of Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) and milestones provide discrete markers of competence
- Focus on Observable Competencies: Achieving milestones is a measure of progress and a lack of achieving specific milestones allows faculty to focus on the area where help is needed
"As doctors ourselves, we want to ensure future doctors receive the best possible training and ensure their patients receive the best possible care. We recognized that this training model would increase transparency and accountability for our residents, and situate our school and our faculty members as Canadian and international leaders in medical education. Now that it is launched, we are in a position to help other schools make the same transition."
The Benefits of CBME for Society5
[Queen’s University_What does CBME mean to you?, pg 2]
- Better Served: Fulfills medicine’s societal contract to serve patients and communities to the best of ability
- Better Focus: Improves focus on critical skills such as professionalism, communication, and health advocacy
- Meets Health Care Needs: Tightens gap between medical education, health care delivery, and societal health needs
Lumevi Student Information System – Case Study
A Solution to Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) Implementation
The Case of McMaster University
