Perspective: The ACGME Toolbox: Half Empty or Half Full?

• DOI: 10.1097/acm.0b013e3181d737a6
• Publication Date: 2010-04-23T07:40:37Z
• Authors: Michael L. Green; Eric Holmboe
• Keywords: Graduate medical education; Toolbox; Academic Medicine

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Outcome Project changed the currency of accreditation from process and structure to outcomes. Residency program directors must document their residents' competence in six general dimensions practice. A recent systematic review, published March 2009 issue Academic Medicine, concluded that instruments currently available are psychometrically inadequate evaluating residents five competencies.In this perspective, authors refute findings earlier review. They demonstrate review's search strategy was limited, failing capture many important evaluation studies. also question appropriateness analysis included articles, which focused, exclusion other properties, on an instrument's ability discriminate among performance competencies.Finally, argue problem is not lack adequate but, rather, inconsistent use interpretation such by unskilled faculty. urge graduate medical education community-if it realize promise competency-based education-to invest training faculty evaluators rather than waiting new instruments.