Competency Compass Provides Roadmap

Defining what students need to know and do, then measuring progress.

The journey to becoming a well-rounded and skilled physician can take many twists and turns. Helping medical students reach their destinations, the Feinberg School of Medicine is developing a GPS of sorts to ensure these future medical professionals stay on track to becoming skilled clinicians. Represented graphically as the “Northwestern Competency Compass,� this recently introduced initiative will take a systematic approach to assessing educational outcomes and mapping the progress of our students.

A current work in progress with input from students and faculty members, the initiative features eight core competencies that will serve to define the medical school’s curriculum. These competencies range from professional behavior and moral reasoning to system awareness and team-based care. They provide a roadmap for all who are involved at Northwestern in shaping tomorrow’s physicians. “Our hope is that this initiative affects our culture and is embodied by the entire institution,� explains Marianne M. Green, MD, associate dean for medical education and competency achievement. “To be effective, these competencies need to be modeled and talked about explicitly in terms that are familiar throughout the organization.�

The initiative is slated for implementation in time for the start of the 2008–09 academic year. Visit www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/ education/competencies/ to learn more about the development and progress of the Northwestern Competency Compass.