Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) for teachers in medical education: Has the time come?

Abstract

On a daily basis, patients put their trust in the healthcare system for safe and high-quality healthcare. However, what evidence do we have as an educational community that our supervising faculty members are competent to fulfill this responsibility? Few, if any, requirements exist for faculty members to have continuous professional development in the field of medical education. Many faculty “love to teach”, however, this love of teaching does not make them competent to teach or assess the competence of trainees whom they supervise. Faculty members who have a significant role as a teacher in the clinical setting should be assessed with regards to their baseline competence in applicable teaching EPAs. When competence is reached, an entrustment decision can be made. Once proficient or expert, a statement of awarded responsibility (STAR) may be granted. The time has come to reach beyond the “standards” of the old adage “see one, do one, teach one” in medical education. In this personal view, the authors outline an argument for and list the potential benefits for teachers, learners, and patients when we assess clinical teachers using EPAs within a competency-based medical education framework.