Defining a Universe of Expected Competencies: A Methodological Example for Internal Medicine.

Overview & Synopsis

This paper describes a method for defining the universe of competencies expected of a general internist. This was accomplished by defining the nature of the medical practice, describing the internal medicine content in terms of subspecialty divisions and general areas of competence, and defining a format for describing competencies. The format for describing competencies used involved defining six categories of knowledge, skills, and attitudes: (1)knowledge, (2) skills (technical and psychosocial), (3) synthesis, (4) management, (5) research, and (6) education. Included are a number of suggested procedures and examples highlighting how procedures can be incorporated into other curricular efforts. (BB)