A GP in Australia needs to be very much committed towards self-development and broadening the skills and knowledge they already have. It is how they can survive in the highly competitive and standardized medical sector in Australia.

Expanding your knowledge and skills as a GP also helps patients trust your service more. Doctors also get to apply their skills and expertise to progress in their career. This is where CPD comes into play.

What is CPD?

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is how doctors maintain their knowledge and update their skills and techniques according to advancements in medical practise. CPD also helps develop both personal and professional attributes required in their medical career.

CPD consists of various activities and programs that continue to broaden your knowledge and expertise in the field.

When does AHPRA’s CPD standard apply?

The CPD standards will apply once you obtain AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority) registration. The AHPRA is the authorization body responsible for the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme across Australia.

CPDs are not required when you first apply for AHPRA registration as a GP in Australia. However, you need to complete a minimum of a year’s worth of CPD points in case you have a gap of more than a year in practice.

You will need to prove that you have complete the required number of hours of CPD when renewing your AHPRA registration.

When to start doing CPD activities

If you are not yet registered with the AHRPA, then when you start doing CPD activities is entirely up to you. Completing regular CPD activities before starting practice gives you the upper hand when it comes to getting selected for GP positions in many healthcare and medical practices. It reassures the employer that you have a better understanding of the expectations of a General Practitioner in Australia.

Where to find CPD activities to complete

You can gain access to CPD activities by becoming a member of the applicable college, which is either ACRRM (Australian College of Rural & Remote Medicine) or RACGP (The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners). These two are the main colleges which provide CPD activities. Apart from these, there are also other CPD providers that offer state-wise accredited workshops and programs. It is vital to ensure that the CPD provider is accredited for your CPD points to be accepted. That is why it is better to complete CPD activities from either ACRRM or RACGP.

Refer to the AHPRA’s CPD standards for more information on this.

CPD activities can be completed in any of the following ways:

·        Face to face courses

·        Face to face workshops

·        Online modules

·        Reading activities

Regulatory requirements for GPs

All specialist GPs need to obtain CPDs according to the RACGP guidelines for the 2020-22 triennium. The Medical Board of Australia (MBA) requires CPD compliance throughout the triennium, ensuring that GPs are working towards achieving it.

GP registrars in the RVTS (Remote Vocational Training Scheme) and AGPT (Australian General Practice Training) program complete CPD obligations by completing the education and training activities in their respective programs.

The MBA outlines the CPD requirements for all other doctors.

Other requirements

You need to record your CPD with the RACGP if you are required to undertake obligatory CPD to maintain specific skills in various medical fields. These include general practice anaesthesia, obstetrics and gynaecology, mental health, diagnostic radiology, or medical acupuncture. This is an inclusion of the overall RACGP CPD program requirements.

If you are a Fellow of the RACGP, you need to complete these RACGP CPD requirements. If you have more than one Fellowship or are on the Medicare Vocational Register of General Practitioners, then you can select which college requirements you need to fulfil.

CPD program requirements for 2022 according to RACGP

Below are the CPD program requirements for the 2020-22 triennium.

At least 130 points with the following mandatory activities:

·        Two CPD Accredited Activities (This was formerly known as Category 1 activities)

o   40 CPD points per activity

o   CPD Accredited Activities could be self-directed or provider-led.

·        One BLS (Basic Life Support) Activity

o   5 CPD points – The training must be for at least one hour with chest compressions demonstrations and automates external defibrillator use.

You can obtain the remaining points through learning programs of your choice. The new triennium is from 1^st January 2020 until 31^st December 2022.

There are a few restrictions with regard to COVID-1 which you can refer to from BLS Courses and COVID-19 web page of the RACGP website.

Comparison of the CPD program requirements - New and unchanged

Here is a comparison of the CPD program requirements from the previous triennium and current triennium. There are requirements that remains unchanged, some that are removed, and a few that are introduced.

Same features

Below are the features that remains unchanged from the previous triennium:

·        CPD program minimum requirements

o   Minimum points of 130

o   Two CPD Accredited Activities (This was formerly known as Category 1 activities)

o   One BLS (Basic Life Support) Activity

Points for activity allocation – 40 points or 2 points an hour up to a maximum of 30 points.

Activities are recorded in points.

Removed features

These are the features that were removed from the previous triennium:

·        The requirement to follow a QI (quality improvement) activity.

·        The annual capping of points for self-recorded activities.

·        The complexity of self-recorded activities.

New features

The below features were introduced in this triennium:

·        Ability to self-record activities at great ease.

·        Ability to record a wide range of training activities, both clinical and non-clinical.

·        Education standard revisions.

·        Ease of access to myCPD app via mobile phone, tablet, or computer.

·        Renaming of activities:

o   Category 1 which is now known as CPD Accredited Activity

o   Category 2 which is now known as CPD Activity

·        Optional completion of professional development plan

·        Categorization of CPDs into the following:

o   Knowledge and skills

o   Assessing performance

o   Measuring results

Conclusion

CPDs are an excellent way to expand your knowledge and skills as a General Practitioner in Australia. Although you may not have registered with the AHPRA, it’s advisable to compete your CPD hours as this would prove to be advantageous when looking for GP jobs. CPDs ensure high standards are continuously maintained in the Australian healthcare sector. This means that patients have access to the best medical care all across Australia.

At Medfuture, we can guide you on obtaining your CPDs and landing on the best-paid GP jobs in Australia. We have a wide range of GP jobs available focusing hospitals, clinics, medical centres, and various healthcare facilities.

Visit our website to find the latest list of GP jobs across all states and suburbs in Australia.

Related Blog:

https://medfuture.com.au/blog/post/continuing-professional-development-cpd-guidance-for-uk-doctors