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Gilbert G. Eade, MD
Seattle

JAMA. 1971;217(8):1106.

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To the Editor.—

I disagree with Edmondson's implication that "adopting guidelines of education of competency by each specialty group" is necessarily any measure of competency (216:1855, 1971). While continuing medical education is laudatory and certainly is necessary if any physician is to keep up, it is neither possible to measure competency by numbers and varieties of courses attended, nor by examinations concerning medical knowledge.

Competency is related to physician behavior. "Keeping up" is a common denominator of a competent physician, whereas competency is not a common denominator of "keeping up." The competent physician is able to blend knowledge with common sense and apply it to the peculiarities of each patient while keeping his own emotions in reasonable check. Competency relates directly to physician behavior, which in turn manifests itself in observable physician performance. So what we should be looking at and measuring is the ongoing level of individual doctor . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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