Advancing Competency-Based Medical Education

Monday, March 29, 2021

Dr. Carol CarraccioCarol Carraccio, MD, MA, is a giant in the world of competency-based medical education (CBME), which focuses on assessing the readiness of trainees to advance to practice or fellowship.

Dr. Carraccio, former Vice President for CBME at the ABP, retired in June after nine years at the ABP and more than 30 years in pediatric education.

Dr. David TurnerDavid Turner, MD, who succeeded Dr. Carraccio in September, says his mentor casts a big shadow.

Dr. Carraccio, who spent 26 years at the University of Maryland School of Medicine before joining the ABP, is credited with being one of a handful of leaders worldwide whose vision has advanced CBME and is changing the way training programs assess residents and fellows. A key element of CBME is to advance learners based on knowledge and skills instead of focusing exclusively on the amount of time they have spent in training programs.

“I feel fortunate to be able to say that my work was truly a labor of love,” Dr. Carraccio says, “and I am grateful to the pediatrics community for their support in advancing competency-based learner assessment.

Her contributions have been lauded by all major education and pediatric organizations. In addition to receiving the 2020 John P. Hubbard Award presented by the National Board of Medical Examiners, Dr. Carraccio also has received the:

  • American Academy of Pediatrics’ Education Award;
  • Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education’s Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award;
  • Association of Pediatric Program Directors’ Walter W. Tunnessen Jr., MD, Award; and
  • Federation of Pediatric Organizations’ Joseph St. Geme, Jr., Leadership Award.

“No one I know in medical education or pediatrics matches this record of accomplishment,” says ABP President and CEO David Nichols, MD, MBA. “Her inspiring passion and innovative spirit have changed the direction of medical education.

Dr. Turner says he feels fortunate to have worked closely with her over the years. After only a few months at the ABP, Dr. Turner has seamlessly continued the ABP’s CBME efforts through proposing additional CBME research, engaging with the pediatric education community regarding next steps, and planning for broader CBME implementation. With ABP Board of Directors’ approval, he also established a new ABP committee focused on CBME efforts. The committee of volunteers will begin meeting in 2021.

“My vision for CBME as we move toward implementation is creating a thread that weaves through the fabric of almost all of our ABP programs,” Dr. Turner says.

Before joining the ABP, Dr. Turner served in a wide range of education and leadership roles in the Duke University Department of Pediatrics and Health System and was most recently the Associate Director of Graduate Medical Education and Section Chief of Pediatric Intensive Care. He is board certified and maintaining certification in General Pediatrics and in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine.

Dr. Nichols is confident that Dr. Turner has the experience, knowledge, and enthusiasm for the job.

“David has a strong background in research and experience in competency-based medical education,” Dr. Nichols says. “He is well suited to enhance the implementation of CBME within the medical education community.


This story was first published in the ABP's 2020 Annual Report.

2020 Annual Report (PDF)

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