Abstract
Introduction: competency-based learning (CBT) is a recent concept in Portuguese medical education. However, CBT is emerging as a new international standard as a way to respond to the new demands of medical education, namely in the training of medical specialists. Methods: an empiric study was conducted to evaluate the training process in the Portuguese medical residency programs and if they meet the terms that characterize CBT initiatives. The study included the construction and validation of a 17-items questionnaire measured according to a five-level Lickert scale. Content validity ratio was evaluated by the method described by Lawshe. Reliability was assessed by the Cronbach Alpha and was 0,722. Questionnaires were mailed to 4.501 physicians, including a randomized sample of specialists in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine and Surgery, and all possible residents. The physicians were asked to fill-in anonymous, self-report questionnaires. Results: replied 457 physicians (10,3 of % of all sent questionnaires) aged between 27 and 82-years-old; 439 questionnaires were considered valid, including 237 residents and 202 specialists (72 surgeons, 67 internists, and 63 family doctors); 128 specialists had tutorial activities. The majority of responders (78.7%) admitted to have little or no knowledge about CBT. The majority of the responders considered to have an acceptable knowledge about the generic and specific competencies that comprise their specialties residency programs, although this knowledge is significantly higher among general practitioners. A concordant response with CBT initiatives is manifested in the domain of the training methods. However, the responses to all items concerning the assessment instruments reveal very little concordance with the demands of CBT initiatives. Conclusions: these results contradict the possibility that the Portuguese medical residency programs are real competency-based initiatives.
Translated title of the contribution | Competency-based postgraduate medical education: considerations regarding Medical Residency |
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Original language | Portuguese |
Pages (from-to) | 25-52 |
Number of pages | 28 |
Journal | Cadernos de Saúde |
Volume | 1 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2008 |
Keywords
- Medical education
- Competency-based learning
- Medical residency
- Postgraduate medical education