Pain Medicine Milestones 2.0: a step into the future

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pain Medicine Training

Background:

• Competency-based medical education is integral to graduate medical training, including pain medicine.
• The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) developed Milestones 1.0 to assess learner competencies.
• Recognizing limitations, the ACGME initiated a revision process culminating in Milestones 2.0 for pain medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail the revision process of Pain Medicine Milestones 1.0 into Milestones 2.0.
• To outline the implications of these updated milestones for pain medicine trainees and educators.

Main Methods:

• A working group was convened to revise the existing pain medicine milestones.
• Revisions involved merging or eliminating redundant sub-competencies and aligning with a harmonized ACGME framework.
• The revised milestones underwent public comment before finalization.

Main Results:

• The number of sub-competencies was reduced.
• Each sub-competency now includes a maximum of three rows for skill, knowledge, behavior, and attitude.
• A supplemental guide was created to aid educators in implementing Milestones 2.0 and assessing trainees.

Conclusions:

• Pain Medicine Milestones 2.0 provide a more comprehensive and user-friendly assessment tool.
• Implementation is expected to streamline trainee assessments and enhance preparedness for future pain medicine practice.
• The revised milestones are designed as an iterative foundation to evolve with the specialty.