NEWS RELEASE – January 19, 2016

Queen’s University to lead the way in establishing Competency-Based Medical Education framework

KINGSTON – Queen’s University School of Medicine announced today that it will play a leading role in the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada’s Competence by Design medical education program. As of July 2017, all incoming Queen’s residents will start their training using a Competency Based Medical Education (CBME) model.

“One of the pillars of our strategic plan is to advance new ways of training,” says Richard Reznick, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s. “As such, the opportunity to help lead in a fundamental transformation of how we prepare the specialists of the future, is not only exciting, but exactly what we said we would do as part of our planning process,”

The CBME model shifts the emphasis of training from one focused on time-based learning and measurement to one based on competency at the skills required. Instead of requiring residents to complete a pre-determined period of time at one level before moving on to the next, they will instead be promoted once they have demonstrated competency in a particular field. The CBME training model also calls for more frequent and meaningful assessments, ensuring that competent residents will move through training in a more individualized and efficient manner, saving valuable resources and promoting excellence in their paths to independent practice.

“Queen’s institutional approach captures the hearts and minds of our entire medical school by engaging all of our educational leaders and faculty at once,” explains Damon Dagnone, Faculty Lead for CBME at Queen’s University. “We began working with our teaching hospitals on a centralized approach over 18 months ago, engaging our faculty, resident trainees, the Royal College, patients and their families, and other Canadian medical schools along the way. This is a journey of discovery we are all taking together.”

The Royal College mapped out a multi-year transition for all residency programs in Canada in 2014. However, in consultation with the Royal College, Queen’s University’s School of Medicine took on a leadership role by designing and implementing a parallel accelerated path to CBME, making a commitment that all incoming Queen’s residents will start their training using a CBME-based model by July 2017. The university’s application to accelerate the transition was approved by the Royal College this past November.

“Here at Queen’s we have the extraordinary educational leadership to accomplish this, in addition to an incredibly dedicated teaching faculty who are universally committed to the best education for our residents. We all share the same goal, and that is to graduate specialists who are more skilled and more knowledgeable than we might have ever imagined. That’s our goal, and that is why I am so excited about our CBME initiative,” says Dr. Reznick.

Read more about Queen’s transition to CBME in the media here:

• The Evolution of Medical Education
• Competency Based Medical Education at Queen’s:  Change FOR us, BY us
• An accelerated path to competency-based medical education at Queen’s
• Queen’s University to revamp medical training to focus on skills

The CBME Resident Lead is the resident who will help ensure continous improvement in the ongoing implementation and improvement of competency-based medical education (CBME) at the program level. Each RCPSC and CFPC program at Queen’s will have a CBME Resident Lead. The CBME Resident Lead will, in collaboration with the Program Director and CBME Program Lead, ensure resident interests are represented throughout all aspects of CBME and their residency education.  This position will be allotted academic protected time.

Qualifications

The CBME Resident Lead must be a resident currently enrolled at Queen’s University and have demonstrated an interested in education and administration. The candidate must have strong organizational, communication and leadership skills, and a solid foundational knowledge of CBME principles.

Resources Requirements

The position must have a defined Department/Division job description that is associated with adequate academic protected time and appropriate administrative support. This protected time will ensure the CBME Resident Lead may attend all CBME related meetings attended by the program director and/or CBME Program Lead, in addition to attending QRMEC meetings and the annual Resident Leaders' Day.

Accountabilities

The CBME Resident Lead will work collaboratively with their program’s director and CBME Program Lead. The CBME Resident Lead will have a permanent position on the program’s postgraduate committee, in addition to those positions currently held by residents. The CBME Resident Lead will also work closely with QRMEC to ensure cross-specialty communication on CBME at the resident level.

Appointment and Review Process

The CBME Resident Leads will be selected by the Program Director and CBME Program Lead. It is the expectation that this position will be re-evaluated once CBME is fully implemented across Postgraduate Medical Education in 2023. Consideration will be given at that time whether these positions should be named Postgraduate Education Resident Lead, in an effort to keep residents actively and formally engaged in the process of evidence-based medical education.

Responsibilities

To the Residency Program

• Lead program residents through curriculum transition and implementation of CBME in coordination with the Program Director and CBME Program Lead
  • Attend all relevant CBME workshops and/or identify a representative to attend when other responsibilities prevent attendance
  • Act as liaison between CBME and postgraduate committee meetings and program residents to ensure continuous updates reach residents

To the Queen's Resident Medical Education Committee

• Attend all QRMEC meetings and/or identify a representative to attend when other responsibilities prevent attendance
• Work with other CBME Resident Leads in various efforts carried out by QRMEC.
• Should clinical duties allow, attend International Conference on Residency Education and/or International Resident Leadership Summit as a representative of Queen’s residents and QRMEC
• Attend the Queen's annual Resident Leaders' Day

Planned Review

A formal review of this role description will occur in no more than 2 years by QRMEC and PGME Leadership

Last Review: October 2022

For more information, or if you’d like to become a CBME Resident Lead, please contact CBME@queensu.ca