Continuing Professional Development Standard
Approval Date: June 2011
Review Date: June 2014
Review By: Continuing Education Program Committee
Approval By: Board


1. Policy

Participation in the RACMA’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program in medical leadership and management is a mandatory requirement for active Fellows and Associate Fellows of The Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators. CPD compliance is also an AHPRA and Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) standard for the maintenance of specialist registration in medical administration. Doctors who are not members of RACMA may also participate in the RACMA Maintenance of Professional Standards (MOPS) program in order to comply with CPD requirements for the maintenance of specialist registration in medical administration.

2. Scope

This standard applies to all Fellows and Associate Fellows and MOPs members.

3. RACMA CPD Standards

3. CPD Point Requirements:

Fellows of RACMA (FRACMA): 50 points per annum or 150 points in a triennium plus at least one self review and/or 360 degree activity each triennium

Associate Fellows of RACMA (AFRACMA): minimum of 25 points per annum and those 25 points must be "management related" activities

MOPS: (non College medical administrators/other doctors and specialists): 50 points per annum or 150 points in a triennium plus at least one self review and/or 360 degree activity each triennium.

The general principle employed with weighting is that 1 point corresponds with 1 hour of CEP activity. Certain activities fundamental to RACMA competencies may have a higher weighting

4. Reporting Requirements

The RACMA CPD Program has an annual reporting period. Fellows, AFRACMA and MOPS participants must document their professional development activities for a CPD year in their personal CPD record on the RACMA eCEP website by 31 March of the following year. Relevant evidence must also be lodged on the eCEP website or kept for 3 years in case of an audit.

Annual certificates are sent electronically each May after authorisation by the jurisdictional CEP Coordinator and the Chair of the CEP Committee.

Three annual periods make a triennium. The current triennium is standardised at 2011-13. An annual report is issued yearly and a participation certificate is available at the end of a triennium on request.

The role of the CEP coordinator is to provide coaching and guidance in line with the CPD program and to review CPD activity documentation before annual certificates are issued.