Regarding the article “Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for the residency program in vascular surgery”

Dear editor,

The publication of the article “Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for the residency program in vascular surgery” addresses an interesting and relevant issue by expressing the importance of medical education in graduate studies, particularly in vascular surgery residency, as the process of preparing for specialized medical care.¹

In Cuba, as well as in Brazil, medical education has experienced changes towards its improvement in accordance with international educational models and contemporary scientific challenges, adapted to the Cuban reality. The search for medical education as an open and flexible process of building professional competencies, as well as professional development activities that enable to ensure an effective professional performance,² are translated as safety and efficacy milestones.

Specifically in the training of Cuban resident physicians in Angiology and Vascular Surgery, safety is established in a curriculum that is structured and organized both in teaching and learning. It provides for teaching, attentional, research, and academic management integration with community and hospital units and services, so as to qualitatively improve teaching-attentional activities using the principle of “learning by doing,” translated into Entrustable Professional Activities.

Furthermore, in these Entrustable Professional Activities, Cuban Angiology and Vascular Surgery residents are linked to a hospital service, in order to comply with the identified and standardized competencies to be achieved, taking on responsibilities gradually, under permanent supervision, while acquiring the work habits of the specialty.³ Such competencies include those required to perform diagnosis, clinical and surgical treatment, education, research, and care provision to patients with diseases of vascular origin, which is translated into efficacy.

Dear editor, certified vascular physicians are required to search for permanent professional improvement,⁴ so as to ensure incorporation and development of competencies and skills such as novel techniques for the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral vascular diseases. Moreover, professional improvement enhances personal and group development, thus promoting a better quality medical care.

• How to cite: Carrera Martínez JL. Regarding the article “Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for the residency program in vascular surgery”. J Vasc Bras. 2024;23:e20240007. https://doi.org/10.1590/1677-5449.202400072
• Financial support: None.

REFERENCES

• ¹
  Perciano Borges MA, Viana Barros RA, Araujo Ribeiro AJ, Guimaraes Campos VD. Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for the residency program in vascular surgery. J Vasc Bras. 2023;22:e20230075. http://doi.org/10.1590/1677-5449.202300752 PMid:38076584.
  » http://doi.org/10.1590/1677-5449.202300752
• ²
  Carrera Martínez JL, Diéguez Batista R, García-Pérez RP. Superación profesional del angiólogo para el tratamiento de las enfermedades vasculares periféricas. Rev Cuba Angiol Cir Vasc. 2023 [citado 2024 enero 29];24(1):8. http://revangiologia.sld.cu/index.php/ang/article/download/417/405
  » http://revangiologia.sld.cu/index.php/ang/article/download/417/405
• ³
  Carrera Martínez JL, Diéguez Batista R, García-Pérez RP. Programa de superación profesional para angiólogos sobre tratamiento de enfermedades vasculares periféricas con técnicas novedosas. Rev Inf Cient. 2023 [citado 2024 enero 29];102:1-12. http://www.redalyc.org/journal/5517/551774301003/551774301003.pdf
  » http://www.redalyc.org/journal/5517/551774301003/551774301003.pdf
• ⁴
  Martìnez JLC, Pérez RPG, Batista RD. Superación profesional del angiólogo para el tratamiento de la insuficiencia arterial periférica. MediCiego. 2013 [citado 2024 enero 29];29(1):3646. https://revmediciego.sld.cu/index.php/mediciego/article/viewFile/3646/3844
  » https://revmediciego.sld.cu/index.php/mediciego/article/viewFile/3646/3844

RESPONSE LETTER

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Dear editor,

We believe that Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs)¹, represent an advance with regard to competencies, especially in terms of residents’ evaluation, making it possible for preceptors to provide more objective assessments, because these activities enable to characterize the level of autonomy and supervision of each resident, considering their subjectivity and academic background. Competency-based assessment and that based on EPAs are not exclusionary, but the latter provides greater autonomy to residents; greater objectivity to preceptors’ assessments, and greater safety to patients treated by the team.

The pertinent and interesting comment regarding the article shows that such teaching practice has already been fully developed and implement in different countries, including in Latin America, with the purpose of improving the quality of vascular surgeons’ training, with adaptations to the reality of each society.

• Financial support:

  None.

REFERENCES

• ¹
  Borges MAP, Barros RAV, Ribeiro AJA, Campos VDG. Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for the residency program in vascular surgery. J Vasc Bras. 2023;22:e20230075. http://doi.org/10.1590/1677-5449.202300752 PMid:38076584.
  » http://doi.org/10.1590/1677-5449.202300752

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  27 Sept 2024
• Date of issue
  2024

History

• Received
  29 Jan 2024
• Accepted
  24 Mar 2024