Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Guidelines

Malaysian Medical Council

Approved by the Council on 16th June 2020

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents Pages

1.0 Introduction 3

2.0 The purpose of the guidelines 3

3.0 What is CPD? 3

4.0 Why do you need CPD? 4

5.0 The Regulatory Mandate (Medical Regulations 2017) 4

6.0 CPD Requirements for APC 4

7.0 The CPD Point System 5

8.0 Planning your CPD 5

9.0 What educational activities can count for CPD points 5

10.0 Recording evidence of your CPD activities 6

11.0 Audit of CPD points 6

12.0 Quality Standards for CPD Activities 6

13.0 Approval of CPD Activities Glossary 7

14.0 Approved Provider status 7

15.0 Glossary 8

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1.0 Introduction

You have an ethical responsibility to promote high standards of patient care and therefore you are
required to be competent throughout your working life by regularly participating in continuing
professional development activities. CPD assists you to update and develop the knowledge, skills
and ethical attitudes that underpin competent practice. The Medical Regulations 2017 which came
into force on 1st July 2017 requires you to provide evidence that you have obtained sufficient CPD
points for the renewal of your annual practicing certificate (APC). Thus, CPD has become a
compulsory requirement for the issuance of your APC. The purpose of CPD is to help you improve
the safety and quality of care you provide for your patients and the community. Your CPD should
address the emerging healthcare needs and practice in your country.

2.0 The purpose of the guidelines

2.1 The purpose of the CPD guidelines is to advise you on the regulations governing CPD and to
assist you on the processes to follow to fulfil the mandatory CPD requirements.
2.2 The guidelines show the wide range of educational activities that you can explore to support
your professional development and practice.
2.3 It provides guidance on how you can record and monitor the CPD activities.
2.4 The guidelines do not dictate what CPD activities or how much CPD is appropriate for your
practice. You should take responsibility for your educational needs that is best for your
practice.

3.0 What is CPD?

CPD is any learning outside of undergraduate education or postgraduate training that helps you
maintain and improve your performance. It covers the development of your knowledge, skills,
attitudes and behaviours across all areas of your professional practice. It includes both formal and
informal learning activities.
CPD refers to continuing development of medical and nonmedical competencies including
professionalism, and interpersonal, managerial and communication skills.

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4.0 Why is CPD important?
4.1 Participation in CPD is your ethical responsibility to keep yourself abreast of the latest
developments in your field of practice.
4.2 The Medical (Amendment) Act 2012 and Medical regulations 2017 requires you to show
evidence of enough CPD points to renew your APC.
4.3 Effective CPD will help you to anticipate and respond to the changing demands in your
practice. It enables you to keep up to date and fit to practise, and to maintain the
professional standards required of you throughout your career.
4.4 CPD ensures the public that you are up to date and competent in all the work that you do.

5.0 The Regulatory Mandate (Medical Regulations 2017)

5.1 Regulation 28(1) and 28(2) of the Medical Regulations 2017 state:
(1) A fully registered medical practitioner who desires to practise as a medical practitioner shall
apply to the Council for an annual practising certificate in Form 14 and pay the fee as
prescribed in the Second Schedule.
(2) An application under sub regulation (1) shall be accompanied by-
a A Professional Indemnity Cover;
b The evidence of sufficient continuing professional development points obtained as
determined by the Council; and
c Any other documents or certificates as determined by the Council.

6.0 CPD Requirements for renewal of APC

6.1 You are required to obtain a minimum of 20 CPD points per CPD year for the renewal of APC.
6.2 Although you need to acquire only 20 CPD points for the renewal of your APC, it is your
responsibility to do enough CPD to remain up to date and fit to practise in your work.
6.3 The quality and relevance of CPD activities matter more than the quantity of CPD points.
6.4 The collection of CPD points for the application of APC for a CPD year shall be from 1st July to
30th June, e.g. CPD points for the application of APC for 2021 shall be from 1st July 2019 to
30thJune 2020.
6.5 There is no maximum limit to the number of CPD points a medical practitioner may obtain in
the given CPD year.
6.6 Extra CPD points earned in a CPD year cannot be carried over to the ensuing year.

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6.7 If for some reason you decide to take a break in your career, you are expected to keep up
dated and participate in CPD if you seek to maintain your APC.

7.0 What is the CPD Point System?

7.1 The CPD point is a mechanism for recording CPD based on the time you spent on the
educational activity.
7.2 The CPD point system facilitates an organised system to record your attendance at
educational activities.

8.0 Planning your CPD

8.1 You must take responsibility for your own learning and professional development.
8.2 You must identify your educational needs and properly plan your CPD activities to be
undertaken in advance.
8.3 You are encouraged to participate in CPD activities that are relevant to your field of practice
and that will support your professional development.
8.4 Your CPD activities should aim to maintain and improve the standards of your own practice
and those of any teams in which you work.
8.5 Your CPD needs must cover a wide range of educational activities that will have an effect
across the whole of your professional practice. This includes both the clinical and the non-
clinical aspects of your practice, and any management, research, and teaching responsibilities
that you may have.
8.6 It is important to recognise that there is no single approach to CPD. What you learn and how
you learn will depend on your preference and the opportunities available to you.

9.0 What educational activities can count for CPD points

9.1 Educational activities that counts for your CPD points are those that support and improve
your professional development and your practice.
9.2 The Council, in consultation with the Ministry of Health, the Malaysian Medical Association
and the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia, has identified several different types of learning
that count as CPD activities.
9.3 The range of learning activities that count have been grouped into eight categories (A1 to A8)
in the MMC-CPD Grading System.(click here)
9.4 You are encouraged to attend a range of different types of learning activities.

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9.5 All CPD points for the purpose of APC application shall be awarded based on the MMC-CPD
Grading system.
10.0 Recording evidence of your CPD activities
10.1 You are required to show evidence that you have acquired sufficient CPD points for the
renewal of your APC. There must be documented evidence such as certificate of attendance,

letter of attestation, synopsis (for self-study activities) etc.

10.2 You may choose to use any one of the CPD point collection systems (MMA, MOH or AMM
systems) that have been approved by the Council to record and monitor your CPD points.
10.3 You shall take responsibility of the recording and monitoring of your CPD activities.
10.4 The CPD record should accurately reflect the CPD activities you have attended.
10.5 You may use the following link to seek a step by step guide to record your CPD:
MMA CPD System https://mma.org.my/mma-cpd/
AMM Medical Specialist CPD system http://cpd.specialist.org.my/
MyCPD system https://www.mycpd2.moh.gov.my/

11.0 Audit of CPD points

11.1 While the CPD system is based on trust, the CPD points submitted for consideration of APC
may be audited.
11.2 The purpose of the audit exercise is to ensure that the total CPD points submitted for renewal
of APC meets the mandatory requirement.
11.3 Medical practitioners who are selected randomly for audit of their CPD data shall be notified
and requested to submit documents to support their CPD activities.

12.0 Quality Standards for CPD activities

12.1 The CPD activities shall be of high quality and free from conflicts of interest. In collaboration
with CPD administrators a set of quality standards (click here) has been established to assess
all CPD activities in a fair and transparent manner to decide on the CPD points.

13.0 Approval of CPD Activities

13.1 Where relevant, prior approval is required for all CPD events and providers shall make the
request online to anyone of the CPD administrators using the following links:
MMA CPD System https://mma.org.my/mma-cpd/
AMM Medical Specialist CPD system http://cpd.specialist.org.my/
MyCPD system https://www.mycpd2.moh.gov.my/

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13.2 All applications should be submitted not later than 30 days before the date of the CPD event.
13.3 CPD activities that meet the quality standards shall receive approval and CPD points will be
allocated.
13.4 Providers shall be informed the outcome of their application within 30 days of the receipt of
the application. Incomplete/ inadequate information may delay the approval process
13.5 The approved activities shall be displayed on the administrator’s website where applicable.
13.6 Late and retrospectively submitted applications shall not be processed.
13.7 Where relevant, providers shall use the event ID assigned for application as a reference
number for any enquiries.

14.0 Approved Provider status

14.1 Medical societies and Healthcare Institutions with enough resources and expertise to conduct
CPD activities on a regular basis are encouraged to seek ‘Approved Provider status’ from CPD
administrators.
14.1 Accredited Provider status will confer organisations a one time approval for all the CPD
activities to be conducted for the CPD year.

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 GLOSSARY

1. Continuing Professional Development (CPD): It is the range of learning activities

through which medical practitioners maintain, develop, update and enhance the
knowledge, skills and performance required for safe and appropriate practice.
2. CPD Qualifying Activities: A diverse range of learning activities through which medical
practitioners update and enhance their knowledge and skills for safe and appropriate
practice (A1-A8 activities in the MMC-CPD Grading System).
3. MMC-CPD Grading System: It is a point-based system used for recording CPD activities,
based on the time spent on an activity and the impact it has on the medical
practitioner’s practice.
4. CPD point: The unit of measurement related to learning activities.
5. CPD Year: The CPD diary runs in an annual cycle. The Council has suggested the CPD year
runs from 1st July to 30th June each year.
6. CPD requirements and obligations: The Council has proposed that medical practitioners
obtain a minimum of 20 CPD points per CPD year as evidence of continuing professional
development.
7. CPD Providers: The term is used to describe organisations that provide education and
training for health professionals. The term encompasses Medical Societies/ Professional
Bodies/ Healthcare Institutions that organise and provide educational activities to assist
medical practitioners to meet their CPD requirements.
8. CPD Administrators: The Council has appointed the following organisations as administrators of
the CPD point collection systems.
a. Bahagian Perkembangan Perubatan, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia ( MyCPD system)
b. The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA CPD system)
c. The Academy of Medicine Malaysia (AMM Medical Specialist CPD system)

These systems function in a similar manner and are linked to Secretariat of the Council. The
systems help medical practitioners record their CPD points, monitor them and generate
evidence of their participation in CPD activities.
CPD administrators shall also ensure CPD events are of high quality and relevant to the medical
practice. The administrators shall be guided by the quality standards in the approval of CPD
activities and in the allocation of CPD points.