INTRODUCTION The quality of medical training and practice reflects the competency level of the professionals involved. The intensive care and emergency medicine specialty in Cuba has not defined its competencies.

OBJECTIVE Identify the competencies required for specialty practice in intensive care and emergency medicine.

METHODS The study was conducted from January 2014 to December 2015, using qualitative techniques; 48 professionals participated. We undertook functional occupational analysis, based on functions defined in a previous study. Three expert groups were utilized: the first used various group techniques; the second, the Delphi method; and the third, the Delphi method and a Likert questionnaire.

RESULTS A total of 73 specific competencies were defined, grouped in 11 units: 44 in the patient care function, 16 in management, 7 in teaching and 6 in research. A competency map is provided.

CONCLUSIONS The intensive care and emergency medicine specialty competencies identified will help improve professional standards, ensure health workforce quality, improve patient care and academic performance, and enable objective evaluation of specialists’ competence and performance.

KEYWORDS Clinical competency, competency-based education, professional education, intensive care, emergency medicine, urgent care, continuing medical education, curriculum, medical residency, Cuba