Education

iii Background: Competency based medical education will move training programs away from a time based standard to a model of competence and milestones. Assessment, observation and feedback are key ingredients to successful implementation. Work based assessment tools will be an important part of a multi-modal programmatic assessment for learners. Purpose: The purpose of the study was: 1) to facilitate the development and implement a pilot competency-based curriculum into the general pediatric component of the PGY 1 year at McMaster University, pediatric residency program, 2) to develop a tool, the Mini Milestones Assessment (Mini-MAS) to assess six medical competencies and progression through milestones using the Dreyfus Developmental Model and to pilot the tool in the general pediatric rotations for the PGY 1 and 4 residents and 3) to test the reliability, validity, acceptability and feasibility of the Mini-MAS tool. Method: Twelve PGY 1 residents at McMaster Children’s Hospital were require