Pediatric Pulmonary Milestones 2.0: Development, Lessons Learned, and Future Directions

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Graduate Medical Training

Background:

• Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education mandates biannual reporting of Pediatric Subspecialty Milestones.
• Existing milestones lack pediatric pulmonology-specific context and clear language, impacting validity for assessment and curriculum development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of new, specialty-specific Pediatric Pulmonology Milestones 2.0.
• To enhance the utility of milestones for fellows, faculty, program directors, and accrediting bodies.
• To improve the validity and applicability of milestones for assessing pediatric pulmonology fellows.

Main Methods:

• The Pediatric Pulmonology Milestones 2.0 Work Group created specialty-specific milestones by tailoring Harmonized Milestones.
• A supplemental guide was developed to link milestones to pulmonary-specific scenarios.
• Guiding principles included independent assessment, clear developmental progression, unique skill relevance, and integration of health equity.

Main Results:

• New specialty-specific milestones were formulated based on defined guiding principles.
• A supplemental guide was created to enhance stakeholder understanding and milestone validity.
• The process clarified principles for milestone development and application in pediatric pulmonology.

Conclusions:

• The revised Pediatric Pulmonology Milestones 2.0 aim to improve fellow assessment and curriculum development.
• Specialty-specific context and clear language enhance the utility and validity of milestones.
• Lessons learned can inform other specialties undergoing similar milestone revision processes.