The development and delivery of high quality continuing professional education for doctors throughout their careers is one of the objectives of the College. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is the process by which health professionals keep updated to meet the needs of patients, the health service, and their own professional development. It includes the continuous acquisition of new knowledge, skills, and attitudes to enable competent practice. The term continuous professional development acknowledges not only the wide ranging competences needed to practise high quality medicine but also the multidisciplinary context of patient care.

Internationally there is a move from Continuing Medical Education (CME) (or clinical update) to CPD, including medical, managerial, social, and personal skills. Continuous professional development is a process of lifelong learning in practice.

It is important that future specialists and consultants are, by the end of their training, aware of the different elements of CPD and learn to use CPD as a means of improving their professional development.

Every resident is therefore expected to attend at least two continuous professional development courses and one Update OR Revision course per year.