Entrustable professional activity assessments in vascular surgery training

Abstract

Entrustable professional activity (EPA) assessments are an assessment tool designed to integrate multiple competencies and subcompetencies across all clinical settings and phases of care. These assessments are important in the shift toward competency-based medical education, as they allow for holistic assessment of the core competencies expected of vascular surgery trainees preparing for independent practice. This manuscript serves to describe the process by which vascular surgery EPAs were developed and implemented nationally in a pilot study, and outlines training challenges addressed by EPA implementation, as well as future directions for EPA development and use.