Entrustable Professional Activities in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Education: A Faculty Development Construct

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Training
• Graduate Medical Education

Background:

• Current evaluations of oral and maxillofacial surgery residents rely on the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education's six core competencies.
• Traditional competency assessments are often subjective, leading to feedback that inadequately supports resident learning and professional growth.
• Faculty training in providing feedback on core competencies is frequently insufficient, further compromising assessment quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the concept of Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) as a potential solution for improving resident education assessments.
• To explore the application of EPAs in oral and maxillofacial surgery residency programs.
• To discuss the utility of EPAs as a framework for faculty development.

Main Methods:

• Review of the concept and definition of Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs).
• Discussion of EPAs in the context of graduate medical education, specifically oral and maxillofacial surgery.
• Exploration of EPAs as a tool for faculty development in providing feedback.

Main Results:

• EPAs are defined as specific units of professional practice that can be entrusted to trainees upon demonstrated competence.
• EPAs offer a more concrete and practical approach compared to abstract competency-based assessments.
• The concept of EPAs is proposed as a valuable tool for both resident assessment and faculty development in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Conclusions:

• Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) present a promising solution to the limitations of traditional competency-based assessments in oral and maxillofacial surgery residency.
• Implementing EPAs can enhance the objectivity and effectiveness of resident evaluations, fostering better learning and professional development.
• EPAs can also serve as a valuable construct for faculty development, improving the quality of feedback provided to trainees.