CONTEXT Doctor competencies have become an increasing focus of medical education at all levels. However, confusion exists regarding what constitutes a competency versus a goal, objective or outcome. OBJECTIVES This article attempts to identify the characteristics that define a competency and proposes criteria that can be applied to distinguish between competencies, goals, objectives and outco...

While portfolios have seen an unprecedented surge in popularity, they have also become the subject of controversy: learners often perceive little gain from writing reflections as part of their portfolios; scholars question the ethics of such obligatory reflection; and students, residents, teachers and scholars alike condemn the bureaucracy surrounding portfolio implementation in competency-base...

Improvements in global health can only be realized through the development of a workforce that has been educated to promote health and to care for those with disease. Increased attention is being placed on competency-based education as a means for optimizing the preparation of health professionals. The purpose of this paper is to describe the characteristics of competency-based education (CBE) ...