Cpd

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

The RANZCOG CPD Program

The RANZCOG continuing professional development (CPD) program is designed to facilitate three endeavours: training, continuing education and review. Practitioners' regular review of practice is followed up by setting priorities for change, and acting in order to effect these changes. The rewards are in the satisfaction and energy that come with new achievements.
The program offers Fellows guidance in planning education pathways and clinical practice improvement that are best suited to their own professional needs and interests.

In 1986 RANZCOG fellowship become linked to a mandatory program of continuing education and recertification and in 1999 it became a three year cyclic CPD program.

CPD Requirements for Fellows / Subspecialists

Fellows/Subspecialist are required to accrue 150 points in continuing professional development activities per three year cycle with a minimum of 25 of those points in the area of practice review and clinical risk management (PR&CRM)

All categories in the three year CPD program have a maximum of 75 points with the exception of practice review and clinical risk management (PR&CRM) in which there is no maximum) as illustrated in the following table:

Download the Points Allocation Summary Sheet ( 35KB)

Subspecialists

For Subspecialists there are three additional requirements. Subspecialists are required to:

• accrue at least 100 of the 150 points required over the three year cycle within their subspecialty area.
• the 25 PR&CRM points must be in the area of their subspecialty
• complete a subspecialty Checklist and be able to verify if required, commitment to and involvement in the subspecialty in at least three of the seven areas detailed in the Checklist. Checklist requirements differ among the five subspecialties.

Download the Subspecialty Checklist

Keeping CPD records

Fellows keep a record of their CPD points in various ways, spreadsheet, folder, drawer and or box. The following documents ( Logsheet and CPD Worksheet ) have been developed to assist Fellows in maintaining a record of their CPD points. Fellows can choose to record activities on the Logsheet which will give a running total of their continuing professional development activities and points. This can be used as a reference when transferring final details onto the CPD Worksheet which is then filed along with supporting evidence. These forms are only a guide and Fellows can choose to use one, both or neither.

A series of templates have been developed to assist in recording and verifying your CPD and PR&CRM activities.

Download CPD templates.

An Annual Points Claim (APC) Form is mailed annually to each Fellow to claim CPD points for activities they have participated in during the previous 12 months. The completed claim form needs to be returned to College House for processing and updating of the Fellow's CPD record.

Please note that verification documentation must be kept until notification is received advising that the next 3 year CPD period has commenced.

Each year five per cent of the Fellowship are randomly selected for a verification check. These Fellows are asked to provide verification documentation to support their claims.

CPD Topics

Retirement

Thinking of retiring from active practice? More

Download Declaration of Retirement Form ( 71 KB)

Extension requests - 6 months and greater

Have you been absent from medical practice for a period greater than 6 months due to Maternity/Paternity Leave, ill health or other exceptional circumstances? If so, why not apply for an extension to your current Continuing Professional Development Committee (CPD) period? More

Extension requests - 3 months

Are you behind in your CPD paperwork?

Do you need extra time to attend activities to gain the required points?

Why not consider requesting an extension of 3 months to your current period? More

CPD for Fellows Overseas

If you are practising overseas and participating in a recognised overseas continuing professional development (CPD) program you may be eligible for a 50 per cent reduction in your subscription fee.

This reduction is only available to RANZCOG Overseas Fellows and not to RANZCOG Overseas Subspecialists. More

Confused by abbreviations?

Download a list of common abbreviations ( 100 KB) used in the area of continuing professional development past and present.

Re-entry guidelines and retraining programs for Fellows

The RANZCOG re-entry and retraining programs have been developed to support the vision of 'excellence in women's health' by assisting Fellows who wish to return to active practice following a prolonged absence or who have identified themselves as requiring retraining, or have been identified by a Regional Health Board, Medical Board or Medical Council as requiring retraining.
Re-entry guidelines following a prolonged
period of absence from practice and retraining
programs for Fellows ( 59 KB )

Australian Fellows interested in undertaking the re-entry or retraining program may be eligible for funding under the Commonwealth Specialist Re-entry Program ( 184 KB ).

Futher information can be found in the DHA guidelines and frequently asked questions ( 64 KB ).

For more information contact Ms Valerie Jenkins, Manager Fellowship Services (t) +61 3 9417 1699 or (e) vjenkins@ranzcog.edu.au . Or contact The Department of Health and Ageing (t) 1800 011 163 or www.health.gov.au

© RANZCOG