CPD profiles

Dr Jayasundera is a vascular surgeon in Sydney (Australia) who works solely in the public sector within a busy trauma team. 

Learning Plan: Dr Jayasundera identifies Technical Skills and Scholarship & Teaching as the surgical competencies they would like to focus on for this CPD period

Education Activity: Activities identified by Dr Jayasundera for CPD include: Supervision of Trainees (15pts), Journal Reading (20pts) and attendance at the Australasian Trauma
Society Meeting (20pts)

Audit: Dr Jayasundera participates in the Clinical Unit Audit and has their data peer reviewed twice a year. They are also participating in the Collaborative Hospital’s Audit of Surgical Mortality (CHASM) and completes all Surgical Case Forms.

Performance Review: Dr Jayasundera regularly participates in clinical governance meetings (Performance of Self) and acts as a mentor to younger Fellows in the team (Performance of Others)

Dr Richards is a colorectal surgeon from Dunedin (Aotearoa New Zealand) who works exclusively in private practice.

Learning Plan: Dr Richards identifies Cultural Competence and Cultural Safety and Health Advocacy as the surgical competencies they would like to focus on for this CPD period.

Education Activity: Activities identified by Dr Richards include participation in a local colorectal journal club (20pts journal reading/10 meetings at 2pts per meeting); a presentation on colorectal surgical outcomes for Māori patients at the New Zealand Annual Scientific Meeting (10pts) and participation in committee meetings for the Health and Disability Advocacy Service (5 meetings at 1pt per meeting).

Audit: Dr Richards identifies the Bi-national Colorectal Cancer Audit (BCCA) as meeting the audit requirements for their area of practice. Dr Richards also presents data for peer review at an annual audit meeting with other practice partners and attends clinical governance meetings at the private hospital.

Performance Review: Dr Richards participates in a Multisource Feedback review (Performance of Self) and provides peer review of clinical reports for their colleague at the private hospital (Performance of Others).

A/Prof Chen is an endocrine surgeon in Gisborne (Aotearoa New Zealand) who works in public and private practice. They are an active member of the RACS Court of Examiners and a supervisor of two Trainees.

Learning Plan: A/Prof Chen identifies scholarship and teaching as the main competency they would like to focus on for this CPD period.

Education Activities: A/Prof Chen claims supervision (20 pts), development of education materials (15 pts) and attendance at a RACS supervisors’ workshop (7 pts). To support learning and growth in the ‘Scholarship and Teaching’ competency, A/Prof Chen also embarks in a Master of Surgical Education (20 pts).

Audit: A/Prof Chen regularly participates in the Australian and New Zealand Endocrine Audit and Clinical Unit Audit. Being based in New Zealand, there is no requirement to participate in ANZASM.

Performance Review: A/Prof Chen claims a Multisource Feedback (MSF) review for Performance of Self and examining for RACS as Performance of Others.

Dr Yii is an orthopaedic surgeon who runs a busy medico legal practice in Adelaide (Australia).

Learning Plan: Dr Yii identifies Professionalism and Medical Expertise as the surgical competencies they will focus on for this CPD period.

Education Activities: Dr Yii attends the RACS Training in Professional Skills (TIPS) courses to support learning under the ‘Professionalism’ competency (16pts) and an evening update on AMA Impairment Assessment Guidelines (5pts). Dr Yii also regularly reads peer reviewed journals (20pts) and undertakes occasional teaching sessions for the Law Society of South Australia (10pts).

Audit: Dr Yii seeks out a peer to undertake a review three of their medical legal reports to satisfy the audit requirement.

Performance Review: Dr Yii claims a Patient Survey for Peer Review of Self and reviewing a peer’s medico legal reports for Performance Review of Others.

Prof Dench is an Otolaryngology Head and Neck surgeon in regional Victoria (Australia). They no longer operate, but regularly teach in the medical faculty of a large university and are an examiner.

Learning Plan: Prof Dench identifies Scholarship and Teaching as the surgical competencies they would like to focus on for this CPD period.

Education Activity: Activities identified by Prof Dench include journal reading (20pts), attendance at the RACS CLEAR course (16pts) and Teaching (20pts).

Audit: As Prof Dench no longer sees patients and their area of practice is limited to teaching/examining. They use a structured review and reflection of student evaluations as their audit.

Performance Review: Prof Dench claims an end of semester faculty review (Performance of Self) and acting as an examiner (Performance of Others).

Dr Mohammed is a urology surgeon from Port Macquarie (Australia) who no longer undertakes any clinical or non-clinical work. They maintain their registration so that they can prescribe to family and provide referrals.

The CPD Team would make a time to speak with Dr Mohammed about the CPD Standard and requirements in relation to Recency of Practice.

To meet the recency of practice standard, Dr Mohammed must practise for a minimum of four weeks full time equivalent (FTE) (152 hours) in one year or 12 weeks full time equivalent (FTE) (456 hours) over three consecutive years.

If Dr Mohammed is unable to meet this threshold, they do not meet the minimum practice standard and are likely ineligible to maintain their registration when assessed against regulatory standards.

RACS is unable to provide an abridged CPD Program to Fellows in these circumstances as it would be in breach of the regulatory standards.