The Competency Changeover
Medical education is no longer just about what you know – it’s about how you turn that knowledge into action
Medical education is evolving. The didactic, lecture-based form of schooling that filled the heads of young doctors with information for later recall is now shifting to an action-oriented discipline. Trainees are no longer asked simply to list the characteristics of a disease, or the steps in diagnosing it, or the options for treating it. Instead, they’re asked what they would do with that knowledge – a new type of teaching known as “competency-based medical education,” or CBME.
Why is the nature of medical education changing so fundamentally after a century of the established methods? How are trainees responding to this radical shift in the way they’re being taught? And what, ultimately, are the benefits to the most important person in the healthcare system – the patient? Expert medical educators share their experiences with CBME – its promise, its pitfalls, and its potential to turn the future of medical school on its head...
While obtaining degrees in biology from the University of Alberta and biochemistry from Penn State College of Medicine, I worked as a freelance science and medical writer. I was able to hone my skills in research, presentation and scientific writing by assembling grants and journal articles, speaking at international conferences, and consulting on topics ranging from medical education to comic book science. As much as I’ve enjoyed designing new bacteria and plausible superheroes, though, I’m more pleased than ever to be at Texere, using my writing and editing skills to create great content for a professional audience.
