Dear Colleague:

We invite you to attend Tufts Health Care Institute's upcoming national conference,
Competency Assessment: Forethought Not Afterthought. It is designed for residency program directors in all specialties, designated institutional officials (DIOs), directors of GME, GME faculty, and institutional and program administrators.

The conference goal is to highlight current practices and innovations in competency assessment in four of the six ACGME competency areas: Interpersonal Skills and Communication, Professionalism, Systems-based Practice, and Practice-based Learning and Improvement.

Deborah E. Powell, MD, Dean, University of Minnesota Medical School will be the keynoter. Small-group workshops focusing on practical topics will complement plenary presentations. At the conclusion of this conference, participants will be able to:

• Describe practical methods of incorporating ACGME competency assessment into    curriculum, including rotational objectives
• Describe and apply practical and effective assessment approaches for the ACGME    competencies
• Identify and incorporate experiences from other programs and institutions in
   developing implementation plans for assessing the ACGME competencies
• Identify opportunities for research and scholarship examining the relationship
   between educational approaches and their impact on health outcomes
• Develop and implement strategies for faculty development regarding the ACGME    competencies

Space is limited! For early registration:

• Visit http://www.thci.org
• Call 617-636-1000
• E-mail: thci@thci.org

Please review the comprehensive preliminary agenda included with this letter.

The national Planning Committee for this year's conference includes:
Patrick Alguire, MD, American College of Physicians; Shepard N. Cohen, MPA, GME consultant; Deborah DeMarco, MD, UMass Medical Center; Robert Englander, MD, MPH, Connecticut Children's Medical Center; Timothy Flynn, MD, University of Florida College of Medicine; Jeanne Heard, MD, PhD, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Deirdre Lynch, RhD, ACGME; Martha Regan-Smith, MD, EdD, Dartmouth Medical School; and Deborah Simpson, PhD, Medical College of Wisconsin.

Since assessment is the foundation for preparing learners and continuously improving educational programs, this year's conference promises to be a highly enriching experience.

We look forward to seeing you in Boston in September.