Design and implementation of a core EPA-based acting internship curriculum.

The Association of American Medical Colleges published Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs), expected independent clinical skills for first-day interns. We sought to determine whether a required acting internship (AI) in the fourth-year curriculum could be used for summative assessme...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Medical Teacher Vol. 44; no. 8; pp. 922 - 928
Main Authors: Zelewski, Susan K., Basson, Marc D.
Format: research tables/charts Journal Article
Published: Taylor & Francis Ltd Aug2022
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Description
Summary:The Association of American Medical Colleges published Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs), expected independent clinical skills for first-day interns. We sought to determine whether a required acting internship (AI) in the fourth-year curriculum could be used for summative assessment of students' mastery of Core EPAs to a predefined level that would readily generalize across disciplines and campuses. The University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences MD Program created a standardized, required Core EPA-based AI curriculum for multiple specialties at multiple geographic sites providing a final entrustability assessment for 10 EPAs in a single course. The course was successfully designed and launched for all students in a single class. During the AI, students functioned at the level of an acting intern, rated the courses as superior, and performed at satisfactory exit-level competence for 10 Core EPAs. A standardized, EPA-based AI curriculum can provide an opportunity for exit level EPA assessment in the medical curriculum. This model functions well within multiple specialties and at diverse community-based, volunteer faculty teaching sites.