CPD Requirements for Doctors in Australia

For many international medical graduates (IMGs), one of the biggest surprises when they register in Australia is the mandatory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) program. While CPD exists in many countries, the Australian system is structured differently and includes several specific requirements that new doctors must understand early.

If you are planning to work in Australia, understanding the CPD system before you arrive can save you significant stress later.

All Doctors Must Join a CPD Home

Once you obtain registration in Australia, you must join an AMC-accredited CPD Home and complete an annual CPD program.

During the registration process with the Ahpra and the Medical Board of Australia, doctors are asked to nominate the CPD Home they will belong to. This means that joining a CPD Home is not optional — it is part of the registration framework.

You can find official information about CPD Homes on the Ahpra website.

Almost all IMGs will need to join a CPD Home as soon as they are registered, regardless of their pathway or job type.

The CPD Year Runs from 1 January to 31 December

One of the most important things to understand is that the CPD year follows the calendar year.

The CPD cycle runs from 1 January to 31 December, and it does not depend on:

• when you registered

• when you arrived in Australia

• when you started your job

This point often catches new IMGs by surprise. If you register late in the year, you may still have CPD requirements for that year.

However, if you register after 1 July, you may be eligible for a pro-rata reduction in the number of CPD hours required.

It is important to note that reductions are based on the date you register, not the date you start work. Many doctors misunderstand this and accidentally become non-compliant.

What Are the CPD Requirements?

Doctors in Australia are required to complete 50 hours of CPD per year, spread across several categories.

These categories are designed to encourage a mix of learning, reflection and improvement.

Educational Activities

These are the most familiar type of CPD and include activities such as:

• reading clinical literature

• online modules and courses

• lectures, conferences or tutorials

• clinical education sessions

Most doctors already complete activities like these regularly.

You are required to complete a minimum of 12.5 hours of EAs, up to a maximum of 25 hours.

Reviewing Performance

These activities help doctors reflect on how they practise medicine.

Examples include:

• reflective practice exercises

• feedback from colleagues or supervisors

• workplace-based assessments

• structured self-reflection activities

Many IMGs are unfamiliar with this category because it is not required in some countries.

Measuring Outcomes

This category focuses on evaluating the results of your clinical work.

Examples include:

• clinical audits

• reviewing patient outcomes

• case review meetings

• quality improvement activities

This category can be challenging for new IMGs because these activities often occur within workplaces once doctors are established in their roles.

You need to do at least 5 hours of MO and 5 hours of RP hours, but you need to do a combined total of 25 hours (such as 10 hours of MO and 15 hours of RP). This is a common mistake among doctors reported as non-compliant.

Personal Career Development Plan

Doctors must also develop a CPD plan for the year, outlining their learning goals and professional development priorities.

On Osler this is called a Personal Career Development Plan (PCDP). The plan helps guide your CPD activities throughout the year, and is the first activity you should undertake.

What Happens If You Forget?

Unfortunately, many IMGs do not realise they must join a CPD Home until it is too late.

CPD Homes cannot provide retrospective portfolios once a CPD year has ended. For example, they cannot sell a 2025 CPD program in 2026 so that a doctor can “catch up”.

This means that if you fail to join a CPD Home and complete your CPD activities, no organisation will report you as compliant to Ahpra.

As a result, Ahpra will record that you did not complete CPD for that year.

When you renew your registration the following year, you will be asked whether you complied with CPD requirements. Doctors should answer honestly. Saying that you complied when you did not is viewed very poorly by regulators.

If you report that you were non-compliant, you may be required to explain what happened and conditions may be placed on your registration.

The Smart Approach: Start Early

The easiest way to avoid these problems is simply to join a CPD Home early.

If you join Osler before you arrive in Australia, you can begin recording CPD activities immediately and claim them back to 1 January of the current year.

This means you could potentially complete much — or even all — of your CPD before you arrive in Australia.

Doing this removes one major administrative task from your first year of practice and allows you to focus on settling into your new workplace.

In many cases, the learning you are already doing — such as reading clinical material, completing courses, participating in unit meetings or attending educational sessions — can count toward your Australian CPD requirements.

Take the Pressure Off Your First Year

Moving countries and starting work in a new healthcare system is already a major transition. The CPD system should not become another unexpected stress.

By understanding the requirements early and joining a CPD Home in advance, you can ensure that your first year in Australia runs smoothly and that you remain compliant with regulatory requirements.

For many IMGs, starting their CPD early is one of the simplest ways to make the transition to Australian practice easier.