Evaluating Canadian Competency-based Specialty Medicine Training

Specialty medicine training in Canada is transforming to a competency-based model. This is the biggest change in specialty education in a century. The new education system emphasizes the abilities to be acquired of specialist physicians, the sequencing of skills (from foundational to complex), tailoring of training to meet the needs of the individual, and assessment systems that capture and adjudicate successful, authentic practice of specialty medicine. There are numerous assumptions underlying this complex educational intervention. The designed education system may be modified and transformed by resource availability, interpretation of policy and procedures, local cultural norms and other unanticipated forces. The purpose of this research project is to understand the effectiveness of the new specialty medicine education system and to also determine unintended consequences. Through a series of studies across Canada and across specialties, this project will describe the functioning of a new specialty training system and its’ influence on healthcare systems and patient outcomes.

Faculty Supervisor:

Jonathan Sherbino;Sandra Monteiro

Student:

Arija Birze

Partner:

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

Discipline:

Kinesiology

Sector:

Education

University:

McMaster University