Why did the ACGME choose to identify competencies?
A8: By identifying the general competencies, the ACGME was responding in part to growing criticism from a variety of sources including the medical community itself, that residents were not adequately prepared to practice in the rapidly changing healthcare environment. From an educational standpoint, competencies can be regarded as the logical building blocks upon which assessments of professional development are based. In the case of GME, identification of the General Competencies represents specification of what residents should know and be able to do. When competencies are identified, a program can effectively determine the objectives that should guide progress toward their achievement and, in turn, what outcomes should be assessed as evidence of the program’s quality, i.e., its effectiveness in meeting the objectives and thus preparing competent residents for practice.
