Table 1.

Schedule of Competency Attestation for ABFM Board Eligibility

In June 2024, we Propose That Program Directors and CCCs will attest that each graduating resident is competent to:

  • Practice as personal physicians, providing first contact, comprehensive and continuity care, to include excellent doctor-patient relationships, excellent care of chronic disease and routine preventive care and effective practice management.

  • Diagnose and manage acute illness and injury for people of all ages in the emergency room or hospital.

  • Provide comprehensive care of children, including diagnosis and management of the acutely ill child and routine preventive care.

  • Develop effective communication and constructive relationships with patients, clinical teams, and consultants

  • Model Professionalism and be trustworthy for patients, peers, and communities.

We will monitor progress and seek further input, but for June 2025, we would extend attestation of assessment of competency by Program Directors and CCCs for each graduating resident to include competence in:

  • Practice as personal physicians, to include care of women, the elderly, and patients at the end of life, with excellent rate of continuity and appropriate referrals.

  • Provide care for low-risk patients who are pregnant, to include management of early pregnancy, medical problems during pregnancy, prenatal care, postpartum care and breastfeeding, with or without competence in labor and delivery.

  • Diagnose and manage of common mental health problems in people of all ages.

  • Perform the procedures most frequently needed by patients in continuity and hospital practices.

  • Model lifelong learning and engage in self-reflection.

Then, in June 2026, with continuing monitoring of progress, we would extend attestation by the Program Director and CCCs to include the following competencies for each graduating resident:

  • Practice as personal physicians, to include musculoskeletal health, appropriate medication use and coordination of care by helping patients navigate a complex health system.

  • Provide preventive care that improves wellness, modifies risk factors for illness and injury, and detects illness in early, treatable, stages for people of all ages while supporting patients’ values and preferences.

  • Assess priorities of care for individual patients across the continuum of care—in-office visits, emergency, hospital, and other settings, balancing the preferences of patients and medical priorities.

  • Evaluate, diagnose, and manage patients with undifferentiated symptoms, chronic medical conditions, and multiple comorbidities.

  • Effectively lead, manage, and participate in teams that provide care and improve outcomes for the diverse populations and communities they serve.