The AOA CPD program has been developed to assist you in maintaining, enhancing or developing skills and knowledge across the entirety of your career. CPD helps you to maintain the highest possible standard of practice and therefore ensure the highest standard of care for your patients. Our program is designed to promote lifelong learning and reflection in all aspects of surgical practice.
The AOA CPD program is an annual program, running from 1 January to 31 December each year. It is divided into four sections for different activity types. Participants must achieve a minimum number of points for activities completed in each section in order to meet compliance in each year. The minimum requirement is different depending on the type of practice in which you are engaged.
CPD activities for the 2020 CPD year are due to be submitted no later than 30 June 2021.
The AOA CPD program will be moving to a financial year from 1 July 2021. The 2020 CPD year has been extended until 30 June 2021 to allow for the transition to occur. The CPD year will thereafter be from 1 July to 30 June annually, with activities due to be submitted no later than 30 September.
All practicing AOA members are required to participate in CPD under National Law. Guidelines for different types of practice are listed below.
Retirement
Fully retired members who no longer hold medical registration are not required to participate in CPD. Members who have retired from operative practice and continue to work in any other capacity must fulfil the requirements for the most appropriate practice type.
Working part-time
Members in full time or part time practice are required to participate in the CPD
program according to their practice type. There is no reduction in CPD requirements for part-time surgeons as the standard of practice is the same.
Working overseas
Members who are currently working overseas are required to participate in CPD. If you are working overseas, you can choose to either participate in the AOA program or the equivalent CPD program of the country in which you are based. Documentary evidence of compliance in the overseas CPD program is required annually.
Trainees and new members
New Fellows are automatically enrolled in the CPD program. New members must participate in CPD in their first year (greater than six months of the calendar year) of active practice according to the most appropriate practice type. This includes new members who are completing a Fellowship as a consultant. Trainees undertaking the AOA 21 Training Program are required to meet CPD requirements in their final year of training in preparation for transition to practice.
Other registration types
Members holding medical registration other than specialist medical registration should contact the Medical Board of Australia (MBA) to discuss their CPD requirements. For more information, please visit the MBA website at medicalboard.gov.au. Members are asked to notify the AOA CPD team if their circumstances change.
Non-members
AOA offers access to our CPD program for practitioners who are not members of the Association but have a similar scope of practice. For more information, please contact the
AOA CPD team.
AOA offers a formal process under which third-party organisations can apply to have educational activities accredited by the Association. Accreditation a process by which AOA assesses the educational quality and relevance of courses, meetings, workshops and other educational activities against a set of defined criteria. Accreditation of activities is designed to:
- Recognise and promote the creation and delivery of high-quality educational activities within the orthopaedic scope of practice;
- Simplify the recording of third-party activities for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points under the AOA CPD program;
- Promote ongoing learning, self-development and reflective practice on orthopaedic surgery, and;
- Assist AOA members in finding and selecting appropriate activities for ongoing learning and professional development.
Accreditation of activities is encouraged, but not mandatory. For more information and to view the current list of accredited activities, please click here.
Need help?
For assistance with any aspect of AOA’s CPD program or accreditation of activities, please contact the AOA CPD team on 02 8071 8000 or email cpd@aoa.org.au