A snapshot on the competency-based medical education in surgical specialties at Faculty of Medicine, University of Alberta, Canada; Where to start?

Alan H Hall

Abstract

The University of Alberta as well as many Canadian universities is starting Cohorts of competencybased medical education (CBME)-training of residents soon. The last couple of years were spent on intensive resource preparation for this initiative. Grand rounds for faulty development and open sessions for questions and answers have been running. The Royal College of Canada has provided a parallel intensive training for the program directors and a tremendous support with the eportfolio. Where are we heading in the coming decade of medical education with this initiative? Is it going to change the face of surgical training, and what are the expectations of our surgical educators? This is a short talk about the conceptual framework of competency by design (CBD) and CBME, efforts that have been put into this change in medical education, and some questions waiting for answers.