Entrustable Professional Activities in Family Medicine Residency Training between South Korea and Abroad: A Comparative Analysis

This study provides a comparative analysis of the Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) within family medicine residency training programs in South Korea, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.As medical education shifts globally toward a competency-based paradigm, EPAs have become a crucial framework for defining and assessing a resident' s ability to perform essential clinical tasks independently.While this concept is utilized in all five countries to structure residents' training, significant differences exist in their scope, philosophy, and assessment systems.South Korea has established 12 core EPAs reflecting its specific clinical environment, but currently lacks a systematic competency-based assessment methodology.By contrast, their international counterparts have more developed systems.The U.S. has recently evolved from 20 granular EPAs to 12 broader "Core Outcomes, " consequently focusing on the overall results of training.Canada integrates 35 EPAs into its CanMEDS competency framework to create a cohesive continuum from medical school through residency.The U.K. employs a functionally equivalent system of 13 "Professional Capabilities" supported by a robust workplace-based assessment system.Australia utilizes 13 EPAs assessed through a practical 4-level entrustment scale that is embedded in daily clinical practice.Key differences lie in the emphasis international programs place on broader professional roles, such as health equity, team leadership, and social accountability, and their sophisticated, integrated assessment tools.This study recommends that the Korean family medicine training system adopt a more holistic, outcome-based perspective, develop multifaceted assessment tools, and create a flexible framework to address the evolving demands of modern healthcare.