EPA Resources

Faculty development materials and key guides and videos about Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) for programs and trainees.

Resources for Programs & Faculty
Resources for Trainees
doctors with laptops in seminar
Frequently Asked Questions

Your most commonly asked questions about EPAs

Browse our EPA FAQs, where we answer the most commonly asked questions about EPAs. This document is updated regularly to reflect where we currently are in the implementation phase.

General Surgery FAQs
Vascular Surgery FAQs
General Surgery EPAs
Read all 18 general surgery EPAs and their full descriptions.
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Vascular Surgery EPAs
Vascular surgery residents and fellows will be assessed on 15 EPAs. Read the EPAs in their entirety here.
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Resources for Programs & Faculty

Programs and faculty start here

These key resources will be the most useful when implementing EPAs at a program and for introducing faculty to EPAs and the ABS EPA App.

colleagues in close discussion
Resources for trainees

Information for trainees

The following resources are specifically designed to aid trainees in incorporating EPAs into their daily activity and show how EPAs will benefit their training.

EPA Trainee Toolkit

Entrustable Professional Activities Trainee Toolkit

A collection of orienting materials on the Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) assessment framework that will be used throughout surgical training and will become a key part of the ultimate pathway to board certification.

ABS EPA App User Guide

A step-by-step guide on how to use the ABS EPA App to complete an EPA assessment.

How to Use EPAs to Take Charge of Your Training Infographic

An infographic detailing how residents can use EPAs to take charge of their surgical training.

General Surgery EPAs Anatomy Visual

The 18 general surgery EPAs and their relation to a patient's anatomy.

EPA Implementation Checklist – For Trainees

A checklist designed for residents specifically to aid in the implementation of EPAs.
Grand Rounds

ABS EPA Grand Rounds presentations for general surgery and vascular surgery

Programs may request to have an ABS EPA Project Speakers Bureau representative present a Grand Rounds on EPAs at their local program, either virtually or in-person. To request a speaker, please complete this form.

ABS EPA Mobile Application

How to use the ABS EPA App

Learn how to create and complete an EPA assessment and how to bulk upload faculty and trainee profiles into the admin website for EPAs in the short videos below.

Learn More About the ABS EPA App
Learn More About the ABS EPA App
Essential Videos

Videos to aid in training faculty in the use of EPAs

From implementation to the completion of microassessments, these video series will help to familiarize faculty with the EPA assessment model. The “Train the Trainer” video series highlights EPA experts explaining all the ins and outs of EPAs and how they will be implemented, and the “Frame of Reference Training” series walks viewers through the process of performing EPA microassessments for several of the general surgery EPAs.

Additional Video Resources

Curated playlists for programs and trainees

The following library of videos is designed to provide programs and trainees with an easy spot to find and watch video resources to aid in the understanding and implementation of EPAs.

What problem are EPAs addressing?
How will residents benefit from EPAs?
How will faculty benefit from EPAs?
How do EPAs work? Developing a shared mental model
Why now? EPAs as an improvement over prior models.
EPAs representing what surgeons already do each day
Will EPAs have an impact on bias within the assessment process?
EPAs and faculty workload
EPAs facilitating better communication