Competence committees decision-making; an interplay of data, group orientation, and intangible impressions

BACKGROUND: The implementation of competency-based medical education and utilization of competence committees (CC) represents a paradigm shift in residency education. This qualitative study aimed to explore the methods used by two operational CC and their members to make decisions about progression and competence of their residents. METHODS: An instrumental case study methodology was used to study the CC of two postgraduate training programs. Transcripts from observed CC meetings, member interviews, and guiding documents were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory approach to reveal themes explaining the decision-making process. RESULTS: Our study found that the CC followed a process that began within a social decision schema model and evolved to a discussion that invoked social influence theory, shared mental models, and social judgment scheme to clarify the points of contention. We identified that the CC decision-making was at risk of bias, primarily influenced by the group composition, the group orientation and individual members’ mindset, as well as their personal experiences with the trainees. CONCLUSIONS: Increased awareness of the sources of bias in CC functioning and familiarity with the CC role in competency-based medical education would enable committees to provide valuable feedback to all trainees regardless of their trajectory. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-023-04693-4.