RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Competency-Based Achievement System JF Canadian Family Physician JO Can Fam Physician FD The College of Family Physicians of Canada SP e323 OP e330 VO 57 IS 9 A1 Shelley Ross A1 Cheryl N. Poth A1 Michel Donoff A1 Paul Humphries A1 Ivan Steiner A1 Shirley Schipper A1 Fred Janke A1 Darren Nichols YR 2011 UL http://www.cfp.ca/content/57/9/e323.abstract AB Problem addressed Family medicine residency programs require innovative means to assess residents’ competence in “soft” skills (eg, patient-centred care, communication, and professionalism) and to identify residents who are having difficulty early enough in their residency to provide remedial training. Objective of program To develop a method to assess residents’ competence in various skills and to identify residents who are having difficulty. Program description The Competency-Based Achievement System (CBAS) was designed to measure competence using 3 main principles: formative feedback, guided self-assessment, and regular face-to-face meetings. The CBAS is resident driven and provides a framework for meaningful interactions between residents and advisors. Residents use the CBAS to organize and review their feedback, to guide their own assessment of their progress, and to discern their future learning needs. Advisors use the CBAS to monitor, guide, and verify residents’ knowledge of and competence in important skills. Conclusion By focusing on specific skills and behaviour, the CBAS enables residents and advisors to make formative assessments and to communicate their findings. Feedback indicates that the CBAS is a user-friendly and helpful system to assess competence.