Entrustable Professional Activities in General Surgery Residency: Validity and Correlations with Milestones

Results from a national pilot study conducted at 28 general surgery programs revealed a moderate to strong positive correlation between entrustable professional activities (EPAs) and milestone subcompetencies. EPAs related to specific surgical procedures showed similar correlation values, while EPAs focusing on diagnosis and communication had higher correlations. Patient care, medical knowledge, and communication milestones were also positively correlated with EPAs. These findings suggest that EPAs are valid assessments in general surgery and can inform milestone ratings by clinical competency committees.