CPD and maintenance of certification in the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, the national specialty societies and continuing medical education (CME) divisions of the medical schools established a continuing professional development (CPD) programme in 2000. The programme forms the basis for mandatory Maintenance of Certification and Fellowship in the College after 2005. The CPD programme is designed to foster the culture of continuous quality improvement in practice and the pursuit of excellence in specialty medicine. This article describes the regulations and the educational principles on which the framework of CPD options are based. The results of a pilot project undertaken in 2000 are presented.