Lindeman, Brenessa

ABSTRACT Introduction The American Association of Endocrine Surgeons (AAES) drafted Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for Endocrine Surgery (ES) to assess general surgery residents and ES fellows in core topics. Here, we examine learner and teacher concordance of entrustability ratings. Methods Fourteen EPAs were defined (10 “core”–6 with pre‐, intra‐, and post‐operative phases, four single‐phase–and four elective EPAs). Ten institutions collected three‐item micro‐assessments (MAs) of learner EPA performance using a web‐based platform, where entrustment was assessed on observable behaviors using a five‐point scale. Learner provided self‐assessment ratings, while teachers separately assigned ratings for the same activities. Spearman rank correlation tests were applied to compare learner‐teacher ratings for EPAs. Results MAs ( n = 698) were submitted between 7/2022‐9/2023. Programs submitted between 3 and 468 MAs. Among 3‐phase core EPAs, the intraoperative phase was most assessed ( n = 496), followed by pre‐ and post‐operative phases ( n = 108 and 55, respectively). Thirty‐nine single‐phase EPAs were submitted. Learner self‐assessment and teacher ratings were equivalent for 32% of pre‐operative EPAs, 53% of intra‐operative EPAs, 29% of post‐operative EPAs, and 64% of single phase of care EPAs. Spearman rank correlation between teacher and learner ratings for all phases of care combined was 0.66. Correlation was highest for the intra‐operative phase (0.73), followed by single‐phase (0.65), pre‐operative phase (0.27), and post‐operative phase (0.20). Rating concordance did not differ when high and low scores were examined independently. Learners were more prone to underestimate performance than to overestimate it when ratings were discordant. Conclusions Learners' self‐assessment and teacher ratings of endocrine surgery EPAs are strongly concordant with operative technical skills. However, learners often underestimate their performance of pre‐ and post‐operative care compared to faculty ratings when using EPAs.

Currently, no standard defines the clinical skills that medical students must demonstrate upon graduation. The Liaison Committee on Medical Education bases its standards on required subject matter and student experiences rather than on observable educational outcomes. The absence of such established outcomes for MD graduates contributes to the gap between program directors’ expectations and new residents’ performance. In response, in 2013, the Association of American Medical Colleges convened a panel of experts from undergraduate and graduate medical education to define the professional activities that every resident should be able to do without direct supervision on day one of residency, regardless of specialty. Using a conceptual framework of entrustable professional activities (EPAs), this Drafting Panel reviewed the literature and sought input from the health professions education community. The result of this process was the publication of 13 core EPAs for entering residency in 2014. Each EPA includes a description, a list of key functions, links to critical competencies and milestones, and narrative descriptions of expected behaviors and clinical vignettes for both novice learners and learners ready for entrustment. The medical education community has already begun to develop the curricula, assessment tools, faculty development resources, and pathways to entrustment for each of the 13 EPAs. Adoption of these core EPAs could significantly narrow the gap between program directors’ expectations and new residents’ performance, enhancing patient safety and increasing residents’, educators’, and patients’ confidence in the care these learners provide in the first months of their residency training.