Assessment in the era of competency-based surgical education

Competency-based medical education (CBME) has emerged as a transformative approach to medical and surgical training. Competency-based assessments (CBAs) are assessments associated with a CBME curricula, and drive CBME curricula administration, implementation, and development. This review article provides an overview of CBME, the educational theory behind its underlying principles, and evolving implementation strategies in the United States. The key foundational concepts related to assessment in the era of CBME are discussed, beginning with an historical overview, followed by definitions and rationale for the adoption of differing CBA frameworks for surgical training, and terminating in the current state of CBAs for surgical training in the United States. Finally, the strengths and challenges of CBAs are discussed.