The implications of core competencies for psychiatric education and practice in the US

Physician competence is a universal concern, one that Canada and the US have addressed in differing, but also in similar, ways. Focusing on the roles physicians play, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) has implemented a uniform procedure for developing and assessing competencies. The US does not have a parallel body but has instead different organizations responsible for different phases of medical education from residency through practice. These groups are working with 6 categories of core competencies to be used for assessment purposes. The categories are patient care, medical knowledge, interpersonal and communication skills, practice-based learning and improvement, professionalism, and systems-based practice. This article presents the US core competencies for psychiatric practice as they are currently being implemented through the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, Inc.