Identifying the policy implications of competency-based education
Abstract
At their 2009 consensus conference, the International CBME Collaborators proposed a number of central tenets of CBME in order to advance the field of medical education. Although the proposed conceptualization of CBME offers several advantages and opportunities, including a greater emphasis on outcomes, a mechanism for the promotion of learner-centred curricula, and the potential to move away from time-based training and credentialing in medicine, it is also associated with several significant barriers to adoption. This paper examines the concepts of CBME through a broad educational policy lens, identifying considerations for medical education leaders, health care institutions, and policy-makers at both the meso (program, institutional) and macro (health care system, inter-jurisdictional, and international) levels. Through this analysis, it is clear that CBME is associated with a number of complex challenges and questions, and cannot be considered in isolation from the complex systems in which it functions. Much more work is needed to engage stakeholders in dialogue, to debate the issues, and to identify possible solutions.
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This requires significant changes, such as designing GME programs that link residents with faculty over longer time periods, faculty development in coaching skills, reconsidering clinical faculty roles, and examining the balance between clinical service and education requirements.
“This requires significant changes, such as designing GME programs that link residents with faculty over longer time periods, faculty development in coaching skills, reconsidering clinical faculty roles, and examining the balance between clinical service and education requirements [13,46,52].”
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- Authors
- Taber, S., Frank, J. R., Harris, K. A., Glasgow, N. J., Iobst, W., Talbot, M., & Collaborators, F. T. I. C.
- Affiliations
- Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (CA)
- University of Ottawa (CA)
- Western University (CA)
- Australian National University (AU)
- American Board of Internal Medicine (US)
- University of London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Taber, Sarah
- Venue
- Medical Teacher
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2010-07-27
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 687-691
- ISSN
- 0142-159X (ISSN-L)
- 1466-187X
- OpenAlex
- W2149980755
- Cited by
- 62
- References
- 19
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 2.54
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Medical Teacher (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ANU Open Research (Australian National University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Innovations in Medical Education
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health and Medical Education
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Competency Development and Evaluation
- Keywords
- competency-based medical education, education policy, medical education reform, outcome-based education, credentialing, barriers to adoption, stakeholder engagement
- MeSH terms
- Competency-Based Education, Education, Medical, Undergraduate, Humans, Policy Making, Organizational Policy
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