Overview

As a prerequisite for registration or recertification as a practising medical practitioner, the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) and the Medical Board of Australia (MBA) require practitioners to annually complete the continuing professional development (CPD) program of an accredited and vocationally appropriate CPD “home” or provider.

RACMA is accredited by:

• The Australian Medical Council (AMC) as a CPD home in Australia and
• The Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) as the provider of CPD for doctors with a vocational scope of practice in New Zealand.

In addition, participation in the RACMA CPD Program is a mandatory requirement for Fellows and Associate Fellows to maintain their membership of the College. All components of the RACMA CPD program are to be completed on an annual basis.

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RACMA CPD

There are currently 2 types of formal CPD programs offered by RACMA:

• The CPD home program of 50 hours per year

People who participate in this program include practising medical practitioners who have:

• Specialist Registration in Medical Administration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra)
  • Vocational Registration in Medical Administration with the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ)
  • RACMA Membership and who have chosen RACMA as their CPD home.

• The Associate Fellow Program (20 hours)

People who participate in this program include Associate Fellows of RACMA who complete CPD to maintain Associate Fellow membership of RACMA.

Please note that Associate Fellows who have a scope of practice relevant to Medical Administration may choose RACMA as a CPD home and complete the 50 hour program.

Medical practitioners who are external to RACMA are welcome to participate informally in CPD opportunities at RACMA.

Email the CPD Team at cpd@racma.edu.au with any questions.

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Current CPD Requirements at RACMA

View the images below for a summary of CPD requirements for the 50-hour CPD home program and the 20-hour CPD program. More detail about RACMA CPD requirements is available in the CPD handbook v3.0 (link)

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Changes to RACMA’s CPD home program 2026 and 2027

RACMA is transitioning to mandatory activities in each of the CAPE domains of:

• Cultural safety
• Addressing health inequities
• Professionalism
• Ethical practice

Requirements will evolve as follows:

In 2026, Fellows and people who use RACMA as their CPD home are:

• strongly encouraged to undertake a minimum of one activity related to or embedding the values of each of the domains; and
• required to consider and reflect on each of the domains in their:
  • Professional Development Plan
  • Annual Conversation
  • Regular Practice Review, and
  • when entering activities into their MyRACMA CPD portfolio

From 2027 onwards, Fellows and people who use RACMA as their CPD home are required to complete a minimum of one activity related to or embedding the values of each of the domains of:

• Cultural safety
• Addressing health inequities
• Professionalism
• Ethical practice

This requirement may be achieved by completing 4 activities, each related to an individual domain or by completing one or more activities combining all or some of the domains.

Consider and reflect on each of the domains in their:

• Professional Development Plan
• Annual Conversation, and
• Regular Practice Review (if undertaken).

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Exemption from CPD Compliance

Fellows, Associate Fellows and people who use RACMA as their CPD home who have, or who anticipate that they will have, difficulty meeting College CPD requirements may apply for an exemption from participation for a maximum of one year.

Reasons for exemption may include:

• Parental leave
• Bereavement of immediate family member
• Personal illness/health reasons
• Extended family/personal leave
• Extended absence from professional duties
• Cultural Responsibilities
• Other special circumstances

Applications are to be submitted in writing to the College by email to cpd@racma.edu.au or by completion of the online application form.

More details about the processes for CPD exemption can be found in the CPD Governance and Compliance Policy.

Email the CPD Team at cpd@racma.edu.au with any questions.

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