What Do Stakeholders Really Think About EPA Training?

Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) is all about matching up what med students learn with what they'll actually do on the job. Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) are a big part of that, helping with feedback and growth. But what do the people involved—like doctors, nurses, and students—really think about EPAs? And what's working well, or not so well, when they're put into practice? This study aims to find out by looking at what's already been said about EPAs in different healthcare settings. EPAs are like specific tasks or jobs that healthcare pros need to do. They're used to check if someone's ready for more responsibility. For example, a doctor might be entrusted to handle a certain type of procedure once they've shown they can do it safely. But how do these activities feel to the people on the ground? Are they helpful or just another thing to worry about?

The study wants to answer two main questions. First, how do EPAs feel to the people using them? Are they seen as useful tools for learning and growth, or are they more like hoops to jump through? Second, what challenges do people face when trying to use EPAs? And what makes things go smoothly? By digging into these questions, the study hopes to give a clearer picture of what EPAs are like in real-life healthcare settings. Maybe EPAs are great for some, but not so much for others. Maybe they work well in some places, but not so well in others. By listening to the experiences and thoughts of stakeholders, we can figure out how to make EPAs even more helpful. After all, medical education should support the people who are out there saving lives every day.

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