The Role of Entrustable Professional Activities in Competency-based Medical Education for Anesthesiology Residents: A Pilot Phase

BACKGROUND: After graduation, physicians should be able to provide professional and safe services without the need for supervision by their clinical professors, mandating a competency-based medical education (CBME) approach. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to develop a national model of entrustable professional activities (EPAs) based on our experiences in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care (DACC), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU). METHODS: The primary EPA design plan was designed in a 10-step model as a career roadmap for the project. The texts were prepared according to a consensus-based approach. On the other hand, the texts were reviewed and revised by a broad team of faculty in a daily workshop. RESULTS: The final product included 14 topics for EPA as the first round of targeting topics for anesthesiology residents. The texts were developed using previous studies and were standardized considering national standards. CONCLUSIONS: We described a clear path toward designing and implementing EPAs in anesthesiology residency programs to improve the quality of the graduated residents. Though the basic theory is the same, each country needs its formula for implementing the process.