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!

A practical guide for junior doctors on how to self-assess clinical performance, set goals, and build reflective habits to improve patient care and personal growth.

As healthcare professionals, our career development is an ongoing process that requires planning and reflection. Personal Career Development Plans (a.k.a PDPs) are a useful tool to help guide our growth and development, and they have been shown to improve knowledge, skills, and overall job performance

Self reflection is something of a buzz word in medical education.  Perhaps it’s a routine part of your practice, but if not, there is a strong body of evidence that if you commit yourself to it, self reflection can have positive effects on your practice.

Here are five reasons why senior doctors should embrace feedback from their patients, peers, colleagues, co-workers, and junior doctors.

Osler has been accredited to be a CPD Home for all doctors in Australia from 1st January 2024.

Osler can provide CPD Home services to you no matter who you are. Here’s how.

Data security is a big issue these days.

The implications of this are greater than you might initially think.

Attending a medical conference is a common learning activity for medical professionals.

However, the investment you make is considerable, both in terms of costs, time away from home and so on, so you want to make sure you get the most from them.

In this article I’ll describe some helpful tips to help you get the most out of it.