How to obtain and claim MOC credits in ophthalmology - Opportunities for additional learning

In this issue

• Letter of introduction from COS Maintenance of Certification Committee
• How many CPD credits do you need?
• How to obtain credits in ophthalmology
  • MOC Section 1 - Group Learning
  • MOC Section 2 - Self Learning
  • MOC Section 3 - Self-Assessment or Simulation
• CanMEDS at the COS Annual Meeting - New in 2016!

Dear COS members,

As ophthalmologists and physicians, lifelong learning through continuing professional development (CPD) is at the heart of what we do. Taking care of our patients requires us to keep up with current standards and maintain and enhance our competence, knowledge and skills.

As members of the Maintenance of Certification (MOC) committee, an arm of the COS Council on CPD, we would like to provide you with a list of CPD activities accessible to you. Below you will find a wealth of resources. They vary from online learning modules to live, interactive sessions.

Take advantage of these resources to earn all the credits you need to meet the annual requirements of the Royal College. Remember to enter your credits into MAINPORT as you complete CPD activities.

• Updates to the Royal College MOC program
• The MOC Framework
• To review information about MAINPORT

A big thanks to Cheryl Ripley for helping to synthesize these resources. Members of the COS MOC committee include: Dr. Colin Mann, Chair, Dr. Chloe Gottlieb, Dr. Phil Hooper, Dr. Rob Shertzer, and Dr. Glen Hoar.

Sincerely,

Dr. Chloe Gottlieb, Ottawa, ON

How many CPD credits do you need?

New Cycle requirements are such that all Fellows and Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Program participants will be required to complete a minimum of 25 credits in each section of the MOC Program during their new 5-year MOC cycle. The annual minimum of 40 credits and a cycle overall minimum of 400 credits are still applicable.

This new policy will only apply to new cycles starting in January 1, 2014 or later. If currently completing your MOC cycle, the minimum credit requirements will not apply until your next cycle begins. Not sure when your current cycle ends? You can find out by logging into your MAINPORT account (your cycle dates appear on the dashboard, under your name). You may also contact the Royal College Services Centre to find out.

Further information on the types of activities you can claim in each section.

How to obtain credits in ophthalmology

SECTION 1 - GROUP LEARNING

Conferences, courses, rounds, journal clubs and small-group learning, either face-to-face or web-based

SECTION 2 - SELF-LEARNING

Activities planned to address specific needs, enhance awareness of new evidence potentially relevant to practice or enhance the quality of multiple systems are part of this section.

Simply attending a group learning activity does not equate with completing a personal learning project (PLP). However, attending a group learning activity could be the stimulus for the development of a PLP that may include some of the aspects of participating in the activity.

Personal learning projects are self-planned learning activities, developed to answer a question, issue, or problem identified in professional practice. When the activity is complete, the intention is to reflect what was learned and document (in MAINPORT) the conclusions or learning outcomes.

SECTION 3 - SELF-ASSESSMENT OR SIMULATION

Activities that provide data and feedback to physicians or health teams that facilitate the identification of needs in areas of knowledge, skills, competencies and performance are part of this section.

"Section 3 is three credits per hour so this means that to achieve 25 credits in Section 3 you need to do just over 8 hours of assessment during your five-year cycle."

• Do you live in Alberta, Manitoba, or another province that has the Physician Achievement Review (PAR) program? Doing a PAR assessment counts for 3 credits per hour in Section 3 for the time you spend reviewing and reflecting on your data.
• Do you teach? Reviewing your annual teaching evaluations counts for the time you spend reviewing and reflecting on your data and getting peer feedback (this includes assessments you receive over the year for teaching medical students, residents or practicing physicians in formal CME settings).
• Do you participate in a performance appraisal, 360° assessment or any other type of workplace assessment related to practice domains including communication, leadership or managerial ability? The time you spend reviewing and reflecting on your data counts for Section 3.
• Do you write peer reviewed journal articles? The time spent reviewing the feedback you receive from your peers counts in Section 3.
• Do you conduct chart audits or other practice performance based assessments? That can also be claimed for Section 3.
• The Royal College has several accredited self-assessment programs that are free. The Bioethics modules are available on the RCPSC website and since they address ethics in medicine, they are applicable to anyone.

CanMEDS at the COS Annual Meeting - New in 2016!

CanMEDS is a physician competency framework aimed at improving patient care by enhancing physician training. Since implementation in the 1990's, CanMEDS continues to define the necessary competencies for all areas of medical practice and provides a comprehensive foundation for medical education. CanMEDS has become the most widely accepted and applied physician competency framework in the world. It reflects the work of hundreds of Royal College Fellows and volunteers and is based on empirical research, sound education principles and broad stakeholder consultation.

CanMEDS identifies and describes seven Roles that lead to optimal physician performance, care delivery and health care outcomes. These roles include: Medical Expert (central Role), Communicator, Collaborator, Leader, Health Advocate, Scholar and Professional.

New this year, the 2016 COS Annual Meeting program will highlight the CanMEDS Roles applicable to each session, allowing delegates to better understand the focus of each session and target their education to their practice needs. Look for the diagram below next to the session title. Only the abbreviation for the relevant Role(s) will be listed on the diagram.

This year at the Annual Meeting we are hosting for the first time a session entitiled, How to Maximize your CPD Credits with Dr. Craig Campbell, Director of Continuing Professional Development, Office of Specialty Education from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Don't miss out, Friday, June 17 from 1700-1745 at the Shaw Centre.

COS obtained permission from the Royal College for use of the CanMeds framework. For more information on CanMEDS, please contact the Royal College.

More on the CanMEDS Framework