Evaluating Critical Communications was a multi-institutional project developed to allow students, residents, fellows and surgeons to practice their ability to "identify" the core competencies: Medical Knowledge; Professionalism; Interpersonal & Communication Skills, Patient Care, Systems Based Practice and Practice-Based Learning and Improvement. The development and documentation of these competencies is important for those in training and the practicing surgeon interested in maintenance of certification.

We realize that everyone can identify an excellent surgeon and an obviously poor performer. Our goal is to present realistic, nonscripted clinical interactions and allow the reviewer to make some choices about the quality of the patient care process.

Each reviewer's choices are compared to a larger national population of reviewers at a similar level of training. At the conclusion of this session, reviewers can compare their "ability to perceive" these competencies with others at their level of training in a simple bar graph format on the RESULTS page.

For some, their results may contain some surprises, others may find some areas to consider changing and a few may have their beliefs reinforced.

You may choose to print your results or send the form via email to your clerkship or program director. Your name will not otherwise be associated with your data. It is used for billing purposes only.

We hope you find this process to be a valuable learning tool.

The authors:
Pamela A. Rowland, PhD
Kenneth W. Burchard, MD
John E. Sutton, Jr., MD
Horace F. Henriques, MD
Misty Blanchette Porter, MD
Adnan Alseidi, MD
Jeannette Capella, MD
M. Allison Arensman, BS