Residency programs and psychotherapy competencies: A survey of chief residents

Objective: To survey chief residents' opinion about various aspects of psychotherapy competency determination. Methods: Chief residents of various psychiatry residency programs were surveyed. Results: One hundred two chief residents were surveyed. Seventy two (70.58%) completed the survey. Eighty four percent of the respondents reported that they were aware of the competencies. The number of patients required for competency determination in five areas of psychotherapy varied widely among the programs. Global assessment by psychotherapy supervisors was the most commonly used method of competency determination (61%). Nineteen (26%) chief residents opined that not all the faculty members involved in teaching and assessing competencies are qualified to do so. Only 23 (31%) of respondents reported that competency criteria were well integrated into the residency curriculum. Conclusion: The little consistency in psychotherapy competency determination across various programs, the differential preparedness of programs for competencies and the lack of consistent integration of competencies into residency curricula call for development and implementation of more uniform assessment methods. This variability also calls into question the decision to establish a standard in five areas of psychotherapy competency.