Clinical handover isn’t just about logistics. It’s one of the richest learning moments in medicine—you hear how colleagues framed problems, why they chose different pathways, and what they’d do next. That comparison of reasoning is exactly what the CPD framework calls Reviewing Performance → Peer Review.

The registration deadline is fast approaching — doctors must renew by 30 September, just five weeks away. For many, this year’s process will feel slightly different. Alongside the usual steps, those in PGY3 or above in 2025 will need to nominate their CPD Home as part of registration.

Medicine has long followed well-worn paths: clinical practice, specialist training, research, or hospital-based roles. Yet an exciting shift is underway. Through networks like Creative Careers in Medicine (CCIM)—a community founded by trailblazers such as Dr Amandeep Hansra—health professionals are exploring paths that defy convention, blending clinical passion with artistry, advocacy, education, entrepreneurship, and more.

Osler is pleased to announce the release of a new feature designed to help you meet your CPD requirements while also supporting genuine reflection on your own practice: Self-Assessments.

It’s 3 a.m. in the emergency department. The fluorescent lights hum, your eyes feel like they’ve been sandblasted, and your coffee is more symbolic than functional. Somewhere in the distance, a monitor alarm beeps. You’ve still got four hours to go, and the last thing on your mind is logging CPD.

But here’s the truth: your CPD clock doesn’t care about your roster. It keeps ticking, even through your nights. And while night shifts can make formal learning feel impossible, they can also be rich in unique CPD opportunities — if you know how to capture them.

This is your night-shift CPD survival guide.

If you’ve ever been caught in the mad scramble of end-of-financial-year tax preparation, you already understand the CPD problem. The deadline is looming, you’re sifting through half-remembered receipts, and you’re wondering if you can claim that dinner in April as a “work meeting” or if that subscription really counted as “professional development.”

For centuries, lectures have been the dominant teaching method in medicine. Rows of learners, eyes fixed on the presenter, absorbing information delivered in a one-way flow. While this approach can transmit a large volume of material efficiently, it is not how adults—particularly experienced professionals—learn best.

If you're an international medical graduate (IMG) coming to Australia, there's a lot to think about—new systems, new processes, new abbreviations. But one requirement that often slips under the radar is your CPD Home.

In medicine, experience is a source of wisdom, but it can also become a barrier to learning. Clinical habits, forged over years and reinforced by patient outcomes, often resist new evidence—even when that evidence is robust. For doctors committed to lifelong learning, the hardest lessons aren’t always new treatments or guidelines. Sometimes, the real challenge is letting go of what we thought we knew.

For most doctors, time is the one thing in shortest supply. Between back-to-back patients, relentless shift work, and the competing demands of paperwork and personal life, the idea of setting aside hours for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) can feel impossible.

But what if CPD didn’t need hours at all?

What if meaningful learning could happen in just 15 minutes—and stick?

Welcome to microlearning: small, focused bursts of education that fit into the cracks of a busy day, yet build into something substantial over time.

Locum work offers freedom, variety, and the chance to see medicine in all its forms—from remote rural clinics to high-intensity urban hospitals. But there’s one thing it doesn’t offer: structure. When it comes to Continuing Professional Development (CPD), this lack of routine can catch you off guard—especially if you're not paying attention early.

Whether you're a full-time locum or picking up extra shifts between contracts, the key to staying CPD-compliant is having a plan. Without one, you’re flying blind—and more likely to find yourself in a panic come December.

A few years ago, I received a complaint from the family of a young man whose life we had once fought desperately to save. I remember the case vividly—he was gravely unwell, with a rapidly deteriorating condition. It was one of those high-stakes clinical situations where the team pulled together with remarkable focus and energy. We did everything we could.

But despite our best efforts, he died. The case had a profound impact on all of us - we were devastated.

It came as a shock, years later, to receive a complaint from his family related to his care.

Peer review is one of the most valuable components of a doctor’s Continuing Professional Development. It’s an opportunity to step outside the blur of your everyday practice and gain insight into your clinical decisions, processes, communication and reasoning. For many doctors, though, peer review can seem out of reach—particularly those working in solo or isolated practice.

There’s a little box at the bottom of almost every CPD activity on Osler. It’s labelled Learning Outcome, and more often than not, it gets barely a sentence – if that. Sometimes it’s left blank entirely. Other times, it’s filled with vague statements like “Attended M&M meeting” or “Watched webinar.”

We get it. You’re busy. Logging CPD can feel like a formality – something you race through between patients, meetings and life. But here’s the truth: that little box is where the real CPD happens. It’s not an afterthought. It’s the point.

In Part 1 of this series, we explored what Quality Assurance (QA) projects are, why they matter, and how they can enhance both patient care and your CPD. Now, in Part 2, we’ll walk through the practical steps of developing a QA project—from idea to action—and making it stick.

So you want to make the switch from RACGP to Osler - how do you get started?

This is the first of a two-part series on Quality Assurance (QA) projects. In this article, we explore what QA projects are, why they’re valuable, and how they can support your CPD. In Part 2, we’ll walk through how to design, execute, and follow through on a QA project in your own practice.

Protecting patient privacy is one of the foundational obligations of medical practice in Australia. While most doctors understand this in principle, a recent case involving a junior doctor in the ACT serves as a powerful reminder of what happens when this responsibility is breached.

Finding meaningful activities that fulfil the Measuring Outcomes (MO) requirements of Continuing Professional Development can be a challenge—especially for locums, career medical officers, and doctors in non-clinical roles. Osler’s Case Review webinar series was developed specifically to address this gap.

Keeping a logbook is one of the most powerful educational tools you can adopt - and it can help you tick off a lot of your CPD!