Competency-Based Assessments
How Nova Southeastern University Partnered with eMedley to transform Medical Education
A Case Study in Academic Innovation
As medical education evolves to meet the demands of modern healthcare, schools are increasingly adopting Competency-Based Medical Education (CBME) to better prepare tomorrow’s physicians. The shift from time-based to competency-based medical education (CBME) represents a fundamental evolution in how future physicians are trained. Recognizing this imperative, Nova Southeastern University’s Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine recently partnered with eMedley to implement a comprehensive competency-based grading system—demonstrating how the right technology platform can transform educational assessment.
- Holistic Competency Tracking: Nova Southeastern shifted from legacy knowledge-based grading to a multi-dimensional system tracking the seven core ACGME competencies, ensuring students are practice-ready beyond just exam performance.
- Unified Assessment Architecture: By aggregating data from NBME exams, OSCEs, and facilitator evaluations into a single platform, the university created a 360-degree view of student progress that identifies granular strengths and weaknesses.
- Proficiency-Based Feedback: The implementation of a three-tier rating scale (Unsatisfactory, Satisfactory with Concern, and Satisfactory) replaced traditional letter grades, emphasizing mastery-based philosophy and clearer developmental feedback.
The Challenge: Moving Beyond Legacy Grading Models
Traditional medical education relies heavily on knowledge-based assessments, with course grades primarily reflecting exam performance. However, this approach doesn’t fully capture whether students have developed the competencies necessary to practice medicine effectively. Nova Southeastern University recognized this gap and sought to implement a holistic competency-based assessment system aligned with the seven core ACGME competencies:
– **Medical Knowledge (MK)**
– **Patient Care (PC)**
– **System Based Practice (SBP)**
– **Practice Based Learning and Improvement (PBLI)**
– **Interpersonal Skills and Communication (ISC)**
– **Ethics and Professionalism (EP)**
– **Personal and Professional Development and Wellness (PPDW)**
Grading systems reliant on siloed assessments struggled to capture the nuanced progression of clinical competencies required in CBME. This creates challenges for forward-looking medical programs due to:
- The inability to map granular competencies to overarching program objectives;
- Lack of real-time visibility into student performance across diverse assessment types (e.g., OSCEs, NBME exams, facilitator evaluations);
- A rigid pass/fail structure that failed to differentiate between varying levels of proficiency.
eMedley’s Customized CBME Solution
Leveraging eMedley’s fully integrated academic management platform, Nova Southeastern implemented a reimagined grading architecture with three core innovations:
1. Unified Assessment Framework
The enhanced gradebook now automatically calculates competency ratings by aggregating scores across multiple assessment types. Each program objective connects to specific “Internal Assessments” including:
– NBME Exams
– Lab Practicals
– POM and PBL Facilitator Evaluations
– Clinical Skills Assessments (CSAs)
– Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs)
– And more
Program administrators can configure which assessment types contribute to each program objective, ensuring accurate reflection of student performance across diverse learning activities.
2. CBME Rating Scales
Rather than traditional letter grades, the system employs a three-tier rating scale designed for competency assessment:
– Unsatisfactory (U): Indicates areas requiring immediate attention
– Satisfactory with Concern (SC): Flags competencies that need improvement
– Satisfactory (S): Demonstrates expected competency achievement
This approach provides clearer developmental feedback while maintaining academic standards—students receive a Pass only when demonstrating satisfactory performance across all competencies. Final grades are determined by competency-level performance: a single Unsatisfactory rating in any competency triggers a failing grade to alert faculty, aligning with CBME’s mastery-based philosophy.
3. Transparent Longitudinal Dashboards
Students and faculty can access the enLight Longitudinal Dashboard that displays their competency ratings throughout their medical education journey. Course-specific views show:
- Overall competency ratings for each course
- Individual program objective performance under each competency
- Bell curve visualizations showing how their performance compares to peers
- Historical trends across multiple courses
This 360-degree snapshot empowers students and faculty to identify strengths and target areas for growth throughout the entirety of medical education.
Why eMedley?
This implementation showcases eMedley’s key strengths in health sciences education technology:
Comprehensive Integration: Rather than requiring multiple disparate systems, eMedley provides a unified platform spanning curriculum management, assessment, student services, and administrative functions.
Customization Without Compromise: Schools can implement innovative pedagogical approaches without sacrificing functionality. eMedley’s architecture supports both traditional and competency-based models—even within the same institution.
Purpose-Built for Health Sciences: Unlike generic learning management systems adapted for medical education, eMedley was designed specifically for the complex needs of medical programs, with deep understanding of accreditation requirements, pre-clinical & clinical education, and competency frameworks.
Partnership Approach: The implementation process began with thorough requirements analysis, ensuring the solution matched Nova Southeastern’s needs while incorporating best practices from eMedley’s extensive experience across medical schools nationwide.
The Future of Medical Education Assessment
Competency-Based Medical Education represents more than a grading change—it’s a fundamental shift in approach to medical training. By focusing on demonstrated abilities rather than simply acquired knowledge, CBME can better prepare physicians for the complexities of modern healthcare delivery.
However, implementing CBME successfully requires a system that can handle the complexity while remaining intuitive for faculty and students. It demands systems that can unify diverse data sources, calculate sophisticated metrics, and present information clearly to multiple stakeholders.
Nova Southeastern University’s implementation demonstrates that with the right partner, schools can transform their assessment systems to align with educational best practices without overwhelming faculty or confusing students.
Ready to Transform Your Assessment System?
Whether you’re considering competency-based education, looking to improve your current assessment processes, or seeking a comprehensive academic management solution, eMedley is the most comprehensive academic management platform for health sciences education with the expertise and technology to support your vision.
Our platform serves medical schools, nursing programs, PA programs, and other health sciences institutions across the country, supporting diverse educational models while maintaining the highest standards for data integrity and user experience.
Contact eMedley today to learn how we can partner with your institution to implement innovative educational approaches that prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals.
Interested in seeing how eMedley can streamline your program’s administrative workflows? Schedule a demo today to explore our comprehensive suite of tools.
