Assessment Objectives for Certification in Family Medicine

Assessment Objectives for Certification in Family Medicine – Updated version

Assessment Objectives for Certification in Family Medicine (previously titled Defining competence for the purposes of certification by the College of Family Physicians of Canada: The evaluation objectives in family medicine) describe the essential skills and observable competencies that are expected from residents at the end of their training. As such, the document serves as a major guide to both in-training assessment and the content of the Certification Examination.

Competencies are described in terms of their most salient key features and observable behaviours. Each competency is specific to the situation’s context and to the phases of the clinical encounter; furthermore, each competency is linked back to the appropriate skill dimension, reinforcing this essential relationship.

For further details about competence-based assessment and its components, please refer to the College’s 2018 Continuous Reflective Assessment for Training (CRAFT) document.

Follow these quick links to specific parts of the document:

• Preface to the Second Edition

• Executive Summary

• Part I: The Assessment Objectives: what are they, where do they come from, and how can they be used?

• Part II: Essential Skills, Themes and Observable Behaviours

The Patient-Centred Approach

Communication Skills

Communication with Patients

Communication with Colleagues

Professionalism

Clinical Reasoning Skills

Selectivity

Procedure Skills