SIX Major ACGME GENERAL COMPETENCIES

Working Definitions for Internal Medicine

 

These definitions have been developed collaboratively by the internal medicine community.

They are a work-in-progress.  The ACGME requires that we define competency in six major areas.

Faculty, peers, nurses, and patients will evaluate achievement of these competencies.

 

The Six Major Competencies are:

1. Medical Knowledge

2. Interpersonal and Communication Skills

3. Patient Care

4. Professionalism

5. Practice-based Learning and Improvement

6. System-based Practice

 

1-Medical Knowledge: Residents are expected to demonstrate knowledge of established and evolving

biomedical, clinical and social sciences, and the application of their knowledge to patient care and the

education of others.

 

•     Apply an open-minded, analytical approach to acquiring new knowledge

 

•     Access and critically evaluate current medical information and scientific evidence

 

•     Develop clinically applicable knowledge of the basic and clinical sciences that underlie the

practice of internal medicine

 

•     Apply this knowledge to clinical problem-solving, clinical decision-making, and critical thinking

 

2-Interpersonal and Communication Skills: Residents are expected to demonstrate interpersonal and

communication skills that enable them to establish and maintain professional relationships with patients,

families, and other members of health care teams.

 

•     Provide effective and professional consultation to other physicians and health care professionals

and sustain therapeutic and ethically sound professional relationships with patients, their families, and colleagues.

 

•     Use effective listening, nonverbal, questioning, and narrative skills to communicate with patients

and families

 

•     Interact with consultants in a respectful, appropriate manner

•           Maintain comprehensive, timely, and legible medical records

 

 

 

3-Patient Care: Residents are expected to provide patient care that is compassionate, appropriate and

effective for the promotion of health, prevention of illness, treatment of disease and at the end of life.

 

•     Gather accurate, essential information from all sources, including medical interviews, physical

examinations, medical records and diagnostic/therapeutic procedures

 

•     Make informed recommendations about preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic options and

inter-ventions that are based on clinical judgement, scientific evidence, and patient preference

 

•     Develop, negotiate and implement effective patient management plans and integration of patient

care

 

•     Perform competently the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures considered essential to the

practice of internal medicine

 

4-Professionalism: Residents are expected to demonstrate behaviors that reflect a commitment to

continuous professional development, ethical practice, an understanding and sensitivity to diversity and a

responsible attitude toward their patients, their profession, and society.

 

•     Demonstrate respect, compassion, integrity, and altruism in relationships with patients, families,

and colleagues

 

•     Demonstrate sensitivity and responsiveness to the gender, age, culture, religion, sexual

preference, socioeconomic status, beliefs, behaviors and disabilities of patients and professional

colleagues

 

•     Adhere to principles of confidentiality, scientific/academic integrity, and informed consent

 

•     Recognize and identify deficiencies in peer performance

 

 

 

 

 

5-Practice-Based Learning and Improvement: Residents are expected to be able to use scientific

evidence and methods to investigate, evaluate, and improve patient care practices.

 

•     Identify areas for improvement and implement strategies to enhance knowledge, skills, attitudes

and processes of care

 

•     Analyze and evaluate practice experiences and implement strategies to continually improve the

quality of patient practice

 

•     Develop and maintain a willingness to learn from errors and use errors to improve the system or

processes of care

 

•     Use information technology or other available methodologies to access and manage information,

support patient care decisions and enhance both patient and physician education

 

 

6-Systems-Based Practice: Residents are expected to demonstrate both an understanding of the

contexts and systems in which health care is provided, and the ability to apply this knowledge to improve

and optimize health care.

 

•     Understand, access and utilize the resources, providers and systems necessary to provide

optimal care

 

•     Understand the limitations and opportunities inherent in various practice types and delivery

systems, and develop strategies to optimize care for the individual patient

 

•     Apply evidence-based, cost-conscious strategies to prevention, diagnosis, and disease

management

 

•     Collaborate with other members of the health care team to assist patients in dealing effectively

with complex systems and to improve systematic processes of care