Table 1.

Nine areas of competence assessment summarised in nine statements

1. Getting and giving regular feedback on real-life practice is most important to learning (regular feedback).

2. In addition to service provision, the main priority is to make sure trainees succeed in their training to time, to agreed standards (service, timely).

3. Once trainees get to this stage, every help should be available to prevent failure (prevent failure).

4. A professional attitude will emerge in time anyway and is impossible to assess, so it is best to leave this alone (professional attitudes emerge).

5. Rigorous rheumatological knowledge tests are the best way to assess future rheumatologists (knowledge tests).

6. Skills such as injections or ultrasound should be assessed regularly throughout training (regular skills).

7. Being assessed on conducting effective clinical examinations across a suitable range of cases is vital (effective in clinic).

8. How a trainee functions in teams is an important aspect of becoming fit to practice (functions in teams).

9. A trainee portfolio drives the trainee and trainer to sample across practice for both developmental and qualifying purposes (portfolio driven).