Professional expertise in medicine

Abstract

This chapter discusses how the mere accumulation of experience does not necessarily lead to the development of expertise. In order to develop expertise in any domain, learners must engage in the right amount and type of practice in an enriched learning environment. We have introduced the expert-performance approach, which provides a systematic framework for researchers to capture expert performance and its underlying mechanisms using reliable, objective, and representative task simulations. Finally, we have highlighted how it is possible to use the expert-performance framework to capture, assess, and potentially expedite the development of expertise in medicine. The literature presented clearly demonstrates the need to implement evidence-based frameworks for performance enhancement in medicine. By identifying the critical characteristics that are associated with expert performance, training interventions can be designed and implemented to enhance the specific skills and necessary adaptations that are key to expertise in medicine, subsequently improving the quality of patient treatment and reducing the costs associated with health care.