Competence Committee (CC)

What is a Competence Committee (CC)?

Competence Committee (CC) Roles

The CIM Competence Committee is the committee responsible for making an informed non biased group decision on resident performance in relation to progress as well as promotion. The CIM CC is comprised of members from multiple divisions within the Department of Medicine.

The CIM CC meets three (3) times per year per cohort at regular intervals to review whether residents are on track with milestones and pace to ensure promotion at the appropriate time, as well as recommendation to sit the Royal College exam.

Promotion and progress in CBME is based on demonstrated competency in the form of achieved Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA's) as well as ITERs, OSCEs and other forms of quantitative and qualitative assessment data determined by the program.

Completion of all EPA's for a stage does not guarantee promotion. EPA's can be considered a "unit" of training in a CBME assessment system but much more goes into determining promotion. Other forms of evaluation are also used to ensure residents are at the appropriate stage for their training and are ready for promotion to the next stage. The CC reviews all forms of evalution and makes recommendations based on overall performance.

Competence Committee Chair

Provides guidance to Competence Committee Members, as well as Academic Advisors, regarding their role and the process of the committee. The CC Chair Leads the committee through a robust, transparent, and non-bias performance review of residents at each stage of training to ensure learners achieve the requirements of their discipline through a review of quantitative and qualitative assessment data.

Competence Committee Members

Provide robust, transparent, and non-bias performance review of residents at each stage of training to ensure learners achieve the requirements of their discipline through a review of quantitative and qualitative assessment data. May also provide recommendations for future learning activities and/or learning plans.

CC Terms of Reference & Def and Exp

Terms of Reference
CIM Assessment Guidelines for CC & RDC Policy
- detailed information on EPA requirements for Pace, status, learning plans as well as promotion

Learning Plans

Not Progressing as Expected (NPAE)

When a resident is deemed "Not Progressing as Expected", the following learning plans are initiated:

First Occurrence of NPAE: Monitor Learner (EPA AA Monitoring Plan)

Second Occurrence of NPAE: Minor Learning Plan

Third Occurrence of NPAE: EPA AA Monitoring Plan AND/OR Minor Leaning (Continued) OR Major Learning Plan

Failing to Progress (FTP)

First Occurrence: Minor Learing Plan OR Major Learning Plan

Second Occurrence: Major Learning Plan

*While the Competence Committee looks at all assessments, a resident may be recommended as NPAE and will be referred to the Residency Development Committee (RDC) for concerns related to non-EPA Assessments (such as ITERs, OSCEs, Oral Exams, etcetera).

Stage Promotion

Promotion: Successfully completed all EPAs of current stage of training, achieved all milestones in current stage of training, no significant concerns based on ITER review and all other assessments (OSCE, Orals, etc).

Not Promoted: Incomplete EPAs in current stage of training, unmet milestones in current stage of training, significant concerns on ITER review or other forms of assessment (OSCE, Orals, etc), or currently on a Major Learning Plan.

*Residents on Minor Learning Plan may or may not be promoted based on a decision by the CC/RDC.

2025/2026 CC Meeting Timelines

2024/2025 CC Meeting Timelines

R1 Meetings

R2 Meetings

R3 Meetings

Competence Committee FAQs

Milestones

Milestone's are considered achieved when either "Usually" or "Always" is selected at the discretion of the Competence Committee who reviews the accompanying narrative information.

EPA Pace Warning

The CIM program has the following Standardized Statements added to the CC Recommendation and RPC Recommendation forms so residents are aware if they are at risk of a possible Monitoring or Learning plan at their next review:

For residents with EPA pace 33-50% for only 1 quarter: "Your EPA pace is below the expected level for this quarter. You are at risk of being considered not progressing as expected if EPA pace remains below 50% for two consecutive quarters."
For residents with EPA pace 50-60%: “Your EPA pace is at the lower end of the expected level. Please work to increase EPA attempts."

EPA Upgraded from a "4" to a "5"

The University of Alberta PGME office has set the requirement for an "achieved" EPA to be a "5 - I didn't need to be there". Other institutions may have different requirements.

In some cases, an EPA that has been marked as a "4" will be bumped to a "5" if the CC reviewer, and the CC agrees, that the conditions were met. This is done at the discretion of the Competence Committee (CC) when reviewers determine which EPAs have been completed. This may happen if an EPA is marked as 4 but all milestones are "achieved" and/or if there are no preceptor comments for areas to improve upon. This is more likely to happen if there are multiple EPA attempts that can be reviewed, regardless of the rating, compared to a single EPA attempt that is marked as a 4.

CBME Tips/FAQ Page

For more detailed information and commonly asked questins, please check the CBME Tips/FAQ's page or email domcbd@ualberta.ca.

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Competence Committee (CC)

What is a Competence Committee (CC)?