Competency-Based Residency Training and the Development of Competencies and Entrustable Professional Activities for Family Medicine in South Korea

The transition toward competency-based medical education in residency training, driven by the limitations of time-based models in ensuring adequate and context-dependent clinical competence, has led to the development and adoption of Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs).EPAs are observable, task-oriented units of professional practice that integrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes, offering a holistic and contextually relevant approach to assessing residents' readiness for unsupervised practice.Recognizing the need for a tailored framework within its unique healthcare system, the Korean Academy of Family Medicine embarked on a rigorous process to define core competencies and subsequently develop EPAs relevant to the Korean primary care setting.This process involved a literature review, expert consultation, workshops, and the Delphi method.This effort culminated in the identification of four core competencies and 12 specific EPAs, marking a significant step toward a competency-based curriculum designed to enhance the preparedness and performance of future family physicians in Korea.