If you’re an Australian doctor, you’ve probably heard about CPD Homes. But what are they, and what does this mean for you and your registration process?
CPD Homes
The Medical Board of Australia now requires all doctors, with the exception of those in their first 2 post-graduate years (PGY1 / interns and PGY2), overseas trained specialists and official specialist trainees, to be members of a formally accredited CPD Home.
The only accredited CPD Homes currently available for users are provided by the Australasian colleges to their members, Osler and the AMA.
A CPD Home is a program that outlines specific objectives for your learning in any one year. There are core requirements that are consistent across all CPD Homes, including those provided by the colleges. These include :
A documented Personal Development Plan (PDP) for the current 12 month period
The completion of at least 50 hours of CPD activities, which are comprised of :
a minimum of 12.5 hours of learning activities
a minimum of 5 hours of Reviewing Performance
a minimum of 5 hours of Measuring Outcomes
a combined total of 25 hours for Monitoring Performance and Measuring Outcomes
the remaining time can be taken from any of the three categories
CPD Home programs may have additional requirements of their own.
When do I have to join a CPD Home?
You will need to join a CPD Home during 2024. You will be required to nominate your CPD Home and inform the Medical Board of your choice when you pay your 2024 registration.
In 2023, you can continue to manage your CPD as you’ve always done.
Where can I find a CPD Home?
As mentioned above, CPD Homes are accredited by a rigorous process to ensure all meet the same mandatory minimum standard, so you can be assured any CPD Home will have sufficient quality to help you. However, there will inevitably be differences between them, and the competition will be good for consumers.
A full list of accredited CPD Homes is published by the AMC and MBA.
What happens if I don’t have a CPD Home?
CPD Homes notify the medical board if you have complied with their program. For the 2024 year, this will happen mid 2025.
At that point, you must be compliant with at least one CPD Home program, so that the MBA knows you have completed your CPD. If you have not, then your registration may be at risk.
Is Osler a CPD Home?
Yes! Osler has been accredited by the AMC, and ratified by the Medical Board. We have been accredited to be a CPD Home for all eligible doctors, including specialists.
All Osler content and portfolio features are free and available to use right now, so you can try it out obligation free until 31st March 2024. If you then want to go ahead and use Osler as your CPD Home, it will cost $249 per year.
Any data you input can be easily exported at any time if you choose to use another CPD Home (but we are confident you won’t want to!)
Can I create my own CPD Home?
It is no longer possible to self-manage your CPD. You must nominate a CPD Home that has been accredited by the AMC.
The process of becoming accredited is costly and difficult, so it is impractical for many agencies to seek accreditation.
Do I need to use my college CPD Home if I’m a specialist?
You can use any CPD Home you choose, as long as it meets the Specialist High-level Requirements for your speciality, over and above the generic criteria listed above. Each college has defined the Specialist High-level Requirements for that specialty - at this point, only 7 (Sports Medicine, Radiology, General Practice, Anaesthesia / Pain medicine, Surgery, Psychiatry and Emergency Medicine) have provided these high level requirements.
You can do your CPD with any CPD Home, as long as their program includes these High Level Requirements.
If you choose a CPD Home that is not your specialty college, you will need to check carefully to ensure that it meets the Specialist High-level Requirements. Osler will be able to provide this service for ALL colleges in 2024.