Programmatic Assessment of Students and Evaluation of Programs in Competency-Based Physician Assistant Education

INTRODUCTION: Competency-based medical education (CBME) is becoming widely used in health professions education, yet its terms, processes, and expectations are not yet well-defined. An increasing number of physician assistant (PA) programs are transitioning toward competency-based curricula, yet application of CBME terms and benefits to program evaluation in the PA profession still lags other health care fields. This review introduces foundational concepts and commonly used frameworks, explores how frameworks for assessment of individual trainees and for effective program evaluation can translate into a PA education to address the challenges faced by PA programs. This review also proposes strategies for improving these processes. METHODS: A narrative review approach was used to identify and synthesize literature relevant to CBME, programmatic assessment, and program evaluation with sources selected based on relevance rather than systematic review criteria. RESULTS: Competency-based medical education relies heavily on both effective assessment of individual trainees and on comprehensive program evaluation to guide continuous program improvement. Programmatic assessment of individual learners is the ongoing collection, analysis, aggregation, and triangulation of data to determine a learner's developmental progression in each competency. DISCUSSION: A comprehensive programmatic assessment framework should incorporate multiple methods and tools, implemented through longitudinal learning-assessment cycles. Defining and implementing PA-specific entrustable professional activities in the curriculum and assessment would help clearly define the PA profession for both the public and health care peers.