Abstract
Cambodia’s ambition to achieve universal health coverage (UHC) by 2035 demands not only expanded access to care but urgent reforms to ensure service quality and workforce competence. Competency-based education (CBE) offers a transformative framework by shifting from content-driven teaching to measurable mastery of skills essential for patient-centered practice. Without accelerating CBE reforms, Cambodia risks falling short of its UHC 2035 goals, leaving critical gaps in workforce readiness and health equity. This commentary highlights opportunities, challenges, and policy considerations for embedding CBE across health professional education in Cambodia. Drawing on local institutional experiences and linking reforms directly to the UHC roadmap, it argues that ensuring consistent implementation—rather than proposing new frameworks—is the most pressing priority. The analysis offers a timely and distinctive contribution to advancing Cambodia’s health education reforms and securing a competent workforce for the next decade.
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