Enrolling in a professional competence scheme

Enrolling in a professional competence scheme

Doctors are legally required to enrol in a professional competence scheme. The scheme doctors enrol in should be one that is most relevant to their education, training, demonstrated competence and scope of current practice.  

I am registered in more than one specialty

The maintenance of professional competence encompasses all aspects of a doctor's practice. If you are practising across the specialties in which you are registered, choose one professional competence scheme and engage in activities relevant to your entire practice. Doctors involved in diverse and complex practices may wish to exceed these requirements. If you are registered in more than one specialty but your practice is focused on one specific area, you might consider voluntarily withdrawing from the specialty you do not actively practice.

I am registered in one specialty but my current practice focuses on a different area

Throughout a doctor's career, their area of practice may evolve. Maintenance of professional competence is rooted in your daily practice. It is essential to enrol in a professional competence scheme and participate in activities that align with your everyday medical practice. Generally, your daily practice should reflect your registered specialty. If you are registered in more than one specialty but primarily practice in other areas, consider voluntarily withdrawing from the speciality you do not actively practice.

I am registered in the general division and have no existing link with a postgraduate training body

All doctors in the general, specialist, and supervised division of the register are legally obligated  to maintain professional competence. This involves enrolling in a professional competence scheme and participating in activities e relevant to their scope of practice. It is not essential to have an existing connection with a postgraduate training body  to enrol in a professional competence scheme. You should contact the postgraduate training body which you think is most relevant to your area of practice for further advice.

I find it difficult to see a good fit with my practice in any of the professional competence schemes established by the Medical Council

Some doctors practice medicine in less common areas of practice / roles. You should contact the postgraduate training body which you think is most relevant to your area of practice for further advice.

I am registered in the trainee specialist division

Doctors practising medicine in  training posts delivered by Postgraduate Training Bodies and approved by the Medical Council will fulfil maintenance of professional competence requirements simply by being registered in the trainee specialist division. No additional action is required from the doctor beyond satisfactorily pursuing their training.

I am in a recognised training post but haven’t yet registered in the trainee specialist division

If you are eligible to enter the trainee specialist division, you should do so without delay. If you are not registered in the trainee specialist division, you will need to enrol in a professional competence scheme.

I am registered with the Medical Council but want to delay enrolling in a scheme

All doctors in the general, specialist, and supervised division of the register have a legal obligation duty to maintain professional competence, by engaging in activities relevant to their practice.

If you are registered with the Medical Council, you must meet the requirements for maintaining professional competence from the date of your registration. If there is a delay in processing your application to enrol in a professional competence scheme, you may retrospectively record activities in which you have engaged. However, if the delay is on your part, this provision will not apply and you will need to make up the credits. Credits accrue to doctors in a twelve -month period starting on 1st May each year. Upon entering  the register, you must enrol in a professional competence scheme within 60 days of becoming subject to the new duty to maintain your professional competence.

You will be required to accrue credits proportionate to the point in the twelve-month period at which you registered. I am currently registered in the trainee specialist division, but will complete training and plan to register in the specialist division

Credits awarded as part of a professional competence scheme accrue to doctors over a 12-month period starting on 1st May each year. When you enter the specialist register you must enrol in a professional competence scheme within 60 days of becoming subject to the duty to maintain competence. You will be required to accrue credits in proportion to the point in the twelvemonth period in which you registered.

I enrolled in a scheme midway through a scheme year and am uncertain as to how many credits to record

The Medical Council recognises that there can be occasions when a doctor enrols in a scheme midway through a scheme year and has outlined pro-rata CPD allocations as guidance for when this occurs. In such instances, the Training Body will make the necessary annotation on the doctor’s Statement of Participation to reflect their enrolment. These allocations are guidance, and doctors are encouraged to record as many CPD hours as possible. The pro-rata CPD allocations will be defined by the Training Body to ensure proportionality across all four CPD categories.

The pro-rata CPD allocations apply to doctors in the following situations:

1.  A newly registered doctor, or doctors who are restored to the register:

Doctors who register with the Medical Council before the 2 March must enrol in a Scheme within 60 days of registering and are required to carry out their CPD proportionately to the point in the Scheme year on which their name was entered on the register. Doctors who register with the Medical Council after 2 March do not need to enrol until the next scheme year on the 1 May.

2.  Doctors who relocate to Ireland during the scheme year:

Doctors who are already registered with the Medical Council and who relocate to Ireland during the scheme year are required to enrol in a Scheme operated by a Training Body. Such doctors will accrue CPD in proportion to the time in which they enrolled. Doctors who have undertaken CPD overseas should retain evidence of this, in order to demonstrate compliance as to the requirements of the MPC Framework. A doctor may be able to use CPD undertaken overseas to count for their CPD requirements in Ireland. The Training Body operating their Scheme will be able to determine whether this CPD can be utilised as such.

I am currently registered in the trainee specialist division, but will complete training and plan to register in the specialist division

Credits awarded as part of a professional competence scheme accrue to doctors over a 12-month period starting on 1st May each year. When you enter the specialist register you must enrol in a professional competence scheme within 30 days of becoming subject to the duty to maintain competence. You will be required to accrue credits in proportion to the point in the 12-month period in which you registered.