Junior Doctors: Time to Get Your CPD in Order Before Registration
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.
The Medical Board of Australia introduced the new CPD system in 2024, requiring doctors to complete 50 hours of activity each year across three categories, managed through an accredited CPD Home. By now, this system should feel familiar. Yet, there are still junior doctors who haven’t joined a CPD Home such as Osler. If you are among them, now is the time to act.
The CPD Home Requirement
Every practising doctor must belong to a CPD Home unless exempt. The important thing to remember is that the CPD cycle runs from 1 January to 31 December, while registration runs from September to September. These dates do not align. If you are practising at any point during 2025, you need to ensure that you are registered with a CPD Home for that year (a list of exemptions can be found here). Waiting until registration is due risks creating unnecessary pressure at a time when compliance is non-negotiable.
No matter where you practice, you need to do your CPD in 2025
Guidance for International Medical Graduates
International graduates who register with AHPRA after 1 July 2025 may be eligible for a pro-rata reduction in their 2025 CPD hours. This reduction is calculated based on the date of your AHPRA registration, not the date you start work in Australia. To apply, you should contact Osler’s CPD Home Manager via cpdhomemanager@oslercommunity.com.
Even if you are working overseas before you register, you can still backdate CPD activities to 1 January 2025. This ensures that your professional development efforts before arriving in Australia can still count towards your obligations.
Missing the mark in 2024
What should you do if you didn’t comply in 2024?
When you re-register in September, you will need to answer the question of whether or not you were compliant. It is important that you answer this question accurately and honestly.
If you say Yes, AHPRA will try to match this with a report from a CPD Home, hospital (if you’re PGY1-2) or college (if you’re an official trainee). If they cannot find one, you’ll be asked to explain.
The best approach is to answer No. This will result in AHPRA contacting you, at which time you can explain what has happened. Make sure you have already accumulated all your 2024 activities so you can show them, and ensure your 2025 activities are as up to date as you can. AHPRA will make a determination regarding what remediation you’ll need to undergo.
PGY2s: Looking Ahead
For those currently in PGY2, the requirement is just around the corner. From January 2026 you will need to be enrolled in a CPD Home, complete a CPD Plan and complete 50 hours of professional development activities across the three required categories: Educational Activities, Reviewing Performance, and Measuring Outcomes.
Educational Activities are generally the easiest to accumulate, with a maximum of 25 hours allowed. Osler provides a wide range of these activities at no additional cost, but many can also be sourced externally. The other two categories — Reviewing Performance and Measuring Outcomes — focus on evaluating how well you perform in practice through activities such as audits, feedback and self-reflection. These often take longer to complete, so it is wise to plan early rather than leaving them until the end of the year.
In addition, you will be required to complete a Personal Career Development Plan (PCDP), which should be the very first task of your CPD year. You must also complete at least one Program Level Requirement activity in each of four key areas: Ethical Practice, Professionalism, Cultural Safety, and Addressing Health Inequity. These themes are embedded in the Medical Board’s Code of Conduct and form a compulsory part of every accredited CPD program.
Learning From Mistakes
Many doctors who struggled with CPD in 2024 fell into the same traps: not starting early enough, neglecting to write their PCDP, leaving all of their hours until the final weeks of December, or failing to record their activities properly. Documentation is key — particularly when it comes to the Learning Outcome box, where vague statements can lead to problems if audited.
Fortunately, Osler provides tools that make this easier, including automatic time-capture through features such as the logbook, self-reflection forms and scratchnotes. Using these features throughout the year prevents the end-of-year scramble that catches so many doctors out.
The Audit Process
Each year, five percent of Osler members are randomly selected for audit. During this process, your records are reviewed for alignment with your scope of practice, the quality of your Learning Outcomes, the hours you have claimed, and the supporting evidence you have provided.
Osler’s aim is to help you pass, but ultimately the responsibility lies with you. If your records cannot be verified, Osler is required to report you as non-compliant to the Medical Board, which will then determine the remediation required.
Help if You Need It
If you find yourself struggling, the most important step is to seek assistance early. The Osler team can be reached at support@oslercommunity.com, and there is a wealth of guidance available through CPD articles, help guides, and webinars. Osler also offers practical tools such as the Audit Tool, Feedback Pack, Case Review Webinars, Learning Plans, Osler In Focus, Best of the Web and Self-Assessment forms. There is always a way to meet your requirements, but leaving it too late will only make the process harder.
Resources to Help You
Final Thoughts
With registration looming, it is vital for PGY3 and above to join a CPD Home immediately and ensure that their records are up to date. For PGY2 doctors, the time to prepare is now — 2026 will be here before you know it.
The CPD system may have seemed new in 2024, but by 2025 it is the standard. With a little planning and consistent effort, you can stay compliant, avoid unnecessary stress, and make CPD a valuable part of your professional growth.