Competency-based psychiatric education.

The focus of training in a competency-based residency program is on ensuring that all residents attain prespecified levels of competence for particular objectives in each training activity. The authors examine the components of a competency-based program and describe the phases of development that their department went through in creating such a program. They conclude that the competency-based training model directly faces the issue of certifying competence by holding itself accountable in a demonstrable way for ensuring that its residents have mastered specific areas of knowledge, skills, and attitudes.