A model approach for mapping core competencies in postgraduate medical curricula

Abstract Background: Competency-based learning model has been imbibed into undergraduate and postgraduate (PG) medical curricula in India since 2019. This study aims to present a model approach for mapping core competencies that need to be achieved by a PG student using methods that are objective, expert guided and transparent to facilitate their utility in various medical courses. Methods: This study was conducted through a two-step process (development and judgement) in the Department of Biochemistry, at our institute at Hyderabad. Two competency domains of Doctor of Medicine (MD) Biochemistry curriculum were chosen to demonstrate this process, i.e., ‘laboratory management’ and ‘organ function tests’. The first step involved content determination, item development and survey questionnaire designing (to be circulated amongst subject experts using the modified Delphi method) by a working group consisting of two professors (curriculum committee members), one additional professor and one assistant professor. In the second step, content validity was assessed using item-level content validity index (I-CVI) and scale-level content validity index (S-CVI/Ave). Results: There was universal agreement amongst the subject experts that all 30 items in the two competency sets were highly/extremely important, as indicated by high I-CVI and S-CVI/Ave scores. Modified kappa statistical analysis showed an excellent index of inter-rater agreement after adjusting for chance agreement for all 30 competencies. Conclusions: A comprehensive method of development and validation of competencies is important for the appropriateness of their use. This two-step approach of establishing competencies followed by content validity assessment and inter-rater reliability testing can be used as a model method to map competencies for PG medical curricula in any subject.