The RACGP strongly encourages all members to do CPD that aligns with their scope of practice / role(s). Many GPs have more than 1 role, and members should allocate their CPD hours to support their work in these roles. Members can dedicate all their CPD to support their clinical work, even if clinical work is a smaller portion of their overall workload.
Whilst most doctors with FRACGP do not hold additional Fellowships nor have additional requirements to maintain the recognition of an additional skill or qualification, there are many RACGP members who do.
Those who might have additional CPD requirements could include:
- A FRACGP doctor who also holds Fellowship in public health medicine, occupational health medicine, psychiatry, or any other medical specialty.
- A FRACGP who holds a Diplomas in a specific field, such as Obstetrics.
- A GP with a specific interest/ role that encourages or requires a specific CPD requirement for practice. This includes diagnostic radiology, mental health practice, medical acupuncture, women’s reproductive health, surgical services, or anaesthesia as well as credentialling at local hospitals or other services.
Guidance for those with multiple fellowships from multiple specialist colleges
Doctors will need to fulfil the CPD requirements from each College, to retain specialist registration in multiple fields. AMC-accredited specialist medical colleges can propose ‘high-level requirements’ for CPD that are specialty specific and additional to minimum CPD requirements set by the Medical Board of Australia.
However, doctors are not expected to have to repeat the same CPD through 2 or more Colleges. If CPD is done in a Specialist College that is not the RACGP, and it fits with the scope of practice of a GP, this CPD can be counted towards the RACGP CPD Program.
Please check the table below. If you hold a qualification with the following medical colleges, then you will have additional high-level requirements for 2023. Details of these are published by the Medical Board of Australia.
Specialty
|
College
|
High-level requirement
|
Anaesthesia |
The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) |
- Complete at least one Emergency response activity per year (education activity)
|
Emergency medicine |
Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) |
- Completion of three core procedural skills:
1x Core Airway Procedural Skill,
1x Core Breathing Procedural Skill,
1x Core Circulation Procedural Skill per year (education activity)
|
Anaesthesia |
The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) |
- Complete at least one Emergency response activity per year (education activity)
|
General practice |
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) |
- Complete a CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) course every three years (education activity)
|
Radiology |
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) |
- Anaphylaxis training as part of basic or advanced life support training once every three years (education activity)
|
Sport and exercise medicine |
Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians (ACSEP) |
- Completion of WADA/Sport Integrity Australia education in every three years (education activity), and
- Completion of ANY ONE of the following courses in every three years: Management of Sports Trauma course (MOST), basic cardiac life support course (BCLS), advanced cardiac life support course (ACLS), AFL Emergency Care Course, or immediate care in rugby course (level 2 or 3 course) (education activity)
|
Guidance for those with Diplomas / other qualifications or endorsements with specific requirements for practice
Doctors with qualifications, endorsements, or interests, who need (or want) to fulfil specific CPD or CPD-like requirements can count these activities as CPD within the RACGP CPD Program. To do so, the qualifications and endorsements should relate to their role in the profession of general practice (clinical or nonclinical).
For GPs with Medical Acupuncture Specific Requirement, we no longer have to report the 2020-22 triennium as well as subsequent year/s or triennium Medical Acupuncture requirements completion to Medicare or Services Australia. You have to complete your Application for endorsement for Acupuncture and direct your queries to Ahpra.
Current specific requirements are as follows:
Specific Requirement topic
|
CPD activity type and hours required |
Frequency |
Anaesthesia |
Rural General Anaesthetists (RGA) CPD requirements
From 2024 the recommended CPD requirements include:
- Annual completion of one Emergency response activity
- One of the following Practice evaluation activities completed annually:
- Patient survey
- Multi-source feedback (MSF)
- Peer review or
- Audit
- RACGP specific CPD activities:
- Supervised clinical attachment preferably with a specialist anaesthetist
- Practice audit directly related to anaesthesia
|
Annual basis |
Medical Acupuncture |
A minimum total of 12 hours of Medical Acupuncture specific CPD hours is recommended as follows:
- 4 hours of Educational Activities
- 4 hours of Measuring Outcomes
- 4 hours of Reviewing Performance
For more information, please refer to AMAC CPD information.
The RACGP no longer reports on Medical Acupuncture requirements completion to Medicare or Services Australia. You have to complete your Application for endorsement for Acupuncture and direct your queries to Ahpra. |
Triennial basis |
Women’s Health |
2023: There is no CPD requirements, Certificants and Diplomates are exempt this year only while the new annual CPD process is implemented.
A recertification certificate will be issued for those who have met their CPD requirements for the period ending 2022 and will include the duration to December 2023. This certificate will be downloadable from the My.RANZCOG portal.
During 2023, RANZCOG will issue Certificants and Diplomates with a new certificate or diploma that will include the date on which they were awarded the qualification, which will be effective for life and will not be re-issued at the end of each CPD cycle.
2024: It will be a condition of meeting annual CPD requirements for the Certificants and Diplomates that they are compliant with their CPD Homes.
For more information, please refer to RANZCOG CPD.
|
Annual basis from 2024 |
Diagnostic Radiology |
To be determined.
The RACGP reports triennial compliance to Medicare. |
To be determined |
Mental Health |
See General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration |
|
Mental Health Skills Training (MHST)
|
Triennial basis |
Focussed Psychological Strategies Skills Training (FPS_ST)
|
Triennial basis |