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Professional Competence Requirements

Record PCS Activities

The PCS Year 2023/2024 end of year date is the 30th April 2024. You will have until midnight on this date to register for the current PCS year. You must be registered with the college before this deadline to record any PCS activity. Only PCS activity uploaded by 30th April 2024 will appear on your PCS Statement of Participation for the year 2023/2024. Should you have any questions or concerns please contact professionalcompetence@coa.ie

2023/2024 CPD Requirements

In the Professional Competence Year beginning on 1 May 2023 and ending on 30 April 2024, doctors will be required to undertake and record the following CPD activity with their Scheme:

  • 40 credits (in any category: external, internal, personal, research/teaching); and
  • One audit (clinical or practice (Quality Improvement).

This increase will bring the annual requirements to 50 hours of CPD activity which will be in line with the new strengthened Maintenance of Professional Competence Framework Model commencing on 1 May 2024.

Please click here for a list of CPD activities in each category.

External

Requirements: 20 credits per year (minimum) External credits are allocated for learning activities or events that take place ‘external’ to your usual work such as CPD courses organised by the College. These may include regional and national scientific meetings, conferences and workshops, international conferences run by equivalent bodies and online courses with a formal assessment process. Event organisers apply to the College’s Professional Competence Scheme for accreditation in advance of the event and the number of credits awarded are based on time and educational content.

Internal

Requirements: 20 credits per year (minimum) Internal credits are allocated for activities and meetings that take place usually during your work such as departmental or hospital meetings, multidisciplinary meetings, grand rounds and case presentation/discussion. It is not necessary to seek CPD approval from the College for these events. However, under the requirements of the Professional Competence Schemes, doctors must provide evidence of having attended these activities. Your Department Chair should keep a record of the contents and focus of the meeting, time and date and a logbook of attendees to simplify collection of internal credits for each member. Any doctor can use this record, signed by the Chair of the Department of Anaesthesia or convenor of the event as evidence of having attendance. If you are selected by the College for the annual audit process a letter from the Head of the Anaesthetic Department, certifying completion of at least 20 hours of internal points activity was achieved during the relevant period of time, is required.

Personal Learning

Requirements: 5 credits per year (minimum) Credits can be claimed for time spent reading academic journals or relevant reading and study logged with a brief note of the topic and learning outcomes. It is not necessary to apply to the CAI for approval of Personal Learning Activities.

Research or Teaching

Desirable: 2 credits These credits are awarded for postgraduate teaching, postgraduate examining, research, analysis of learning needs and planning development can generate credits. It is not necessary to apply to CAI for approval of research or teaching activities. Supporting documentation, if requested, for this activity could comprise of; tutorial or lecture schedules, medical school curricula, publications, meeting programmes, workshop programmes.

Events List