These credits are earned through interactive activities with peers. Knowledge, skills and abilities acquired through group or team learning activities, including collaborative interprofessional and patient partner activities. Activities must be interactive through opportunities for discussion and can be in-person or virtual. 

• A minimum of 25% of the total learning time must involve interactive engagement with the group. Examples include conferences, webinars, workshops, and seminar series.
  
  
• Synchronous (live, in-person or virtual): Learners interact with instructors, peers, and content in real time, mirroring an in-person experience.
  
  
• Asynchronous: Learners engage with instructors, peers, and content on their own schedule. Programs must include structured interactive elements, such as facilitated discussion boards with limited-time access.

• Accredited: 1 credit per hour. Includes accredited conferences, workshops, seminars, and hospital-based rounds. 

• Unaccredited: 0.5 credits per hour. Includes group activities without formal Royal College accreditation, such as small group learning sessions with no industry support.

• For more information about MOC Section 1 Group Learning, go to The MOC framework 

These credits cover self-directed activities tailored to your practice. Knowledge, skills and abilities are acquired through independent, self-directed learning activities. 

• Reading & Reviewing: 0.5 credits per hour for reading journals, listening to podcasts, or watching videos. 
  
  
• Activity Preparation: 2 credits per hour for researching and preparing for teaching or presentations (the actual teaching time does not count). 
  
  
• Formal Studies: Up to 50 credits per year for postgraduate degrees (Masters/PhD) or structured fellowships. 
  
  
• Traineeships: 20 credits per year for supervised, structured learning.

• Feedback received: Feedback received on your knowledge, skills or performance that enables you to identify opportunities for future learning or Quality Improvement (QI) activities or both.
  
  
• Feedback delivered: Feedback delivered to individuals, groups, teams or systems.
  
  
• Improvement initiatives: Activities carried out to improve patient care; physician well-being; professional practice; medical education; health systems; equity, diversity and inclusion; planetary health; and other areas. Improvement initiatives include QI initiatives and systems improvement initiatives. 

• Accredited Self-Assessment Programs (SAPs): 3 credits per hour for completing accredited online programs that test your knowledge. 

• Simulation: 3 credits per hour for participating in accredited simulation-based activities. 

• Quality Improvement (QI): 15–35 credits per year for participating in or leading QI initiatives. 
  
  
• Feedback Review: 3 credits per hour for reviewing performance data, such as teaching evaluations or patient surveys. 

Learners demonstrate knowledge through activities such as online modules with quizzes. The program provides individualized feedback via:

• Explanations for correct and incorrect answers

• Scored assessment results

• Suggested resources for further learning

Note: SAP (“self-assessment program”) refers to individual learning, but knowledge is objectively assessed, not self-reported.

Learners are observed performing skills, such as in demos or scenario exercises. Feedback is provided through:

• Checklist of skills achieved or not achieved

• Optional reflective tool for self-reflection and action planning

These are activities that include interactive group learning, as well as formal assessments of a participant’s knowledge or performance.

• Certified credits: Activities (seminars, conferences, clinical rounds programs, webinars, asynchronous online activities, etc.), that have been formally reviewed and approved as per the standards for certified CPD set by the CFPC. 
  
  
• CFPC Mainpro+ Certifed Activities:
  • AAFP Prescribed credits
  • AMA PRA Category 1*
  • CFP Mainpro+ articles
  • CFPC Self Learning™ Program
  • CFPC peer tutor
  • Formal traineeship/fellowship
  • Formal studies/university courses
  • Foundation for Medical Practice Education (FMPE)
  • International (request for individual consideration)
  • Royal College Section 1*
  • Certifed rounds and journal clubs
  • Quebec Category A
  • Certifed online CPD† activities (e.g., CFPCLearn)
  • Other Certifed Mainpro+ activities
  • UpToDate® 

These are self-directed activities that allow family physicians to evaluate aspects of their own clinical practice. Programs must offer learners opportunities for reflection, provide objective feedback, and include measurable outcomes demonstrating change.These are not comparable to MOC Section 3 practice assessment credits, which specialists must submit directly to the Royal College rather than through CME.

• Certified activities: Practice audits, practice assessments, chart audits, simulation activities, etc. in which analysis of data, including providing or receiving feedback, stimulates self-reflection and leads to practice/performance improvement. These may be self-directed or conducted with others.
   
• CFPC Mainpro+ Certifed Assessment activities:
  • CFPC Professional Learning Plan (PLP)
  • Linking Learning exercises (Administration, Assessment, Research, Teaching, Practice)
  • Medical regulatory authority (MRA) quality/practice improvement programs
  • MCC360
  • Other Mainpro+ Certifed Assessment Activities
  • CLASS Program
  • Publication of an article
  • Quebec Category B
  • Royal College Section 3 
  
  
• Non-certified credits: Activities that are not formally reviewed but comply with the College’s definition of CPD. They must be non-promotional and provide valuable professional learning opportunities that can be used for non-certified credits.  
  
  
• Coaching/mentoring:
  • Committee participation
  • Corridor or team-based consultations/ case-based discussions
  • Interprofessional educational events
  • Non-certifed conferences
  • Reading, watching, listening (medicalrelated media, books, journals, articles)
  • Research and publication (writing or reviewing)
  • Social media discourse (participation in practice related online discussions)
  • Teaching, presenting, and preparing (includes curriculum planning, development, or review) 

Only physician organizations can request accreditation for CPD activities.

Key Requirements:

• The organization must design and oversee the CPD activity, including all financial decisions, in line with CPD Ethical Standards.

• Must be a not-for-profit group of healthcare professionals with a formal governance structure.

• Must have been in existence for at least one year.
  
  

Membership Must:

• Include physicians (not just the board).

• Have defined eligibility criteria and member expectations (e.g., dues).

• Grant members voting rights on organizational initiatives and strategy.
  
  

Eligible Organizations Include:

• Faculties of medicine

• Hospital departments or divisions

• Medical societies, associations, and academies

• Physician research organizations and clinics

• Health authority hospital departments or medical advisory committees (HAMAC)

• Canadian provincial medical regulatory authorities (MRAs)
  
  

First-Time Applicants:

• May need to provide supporting documents (e.g., Terms of Reference, constitution, governance policies).

• This could extend the review process beyond the standard 4–6 weeks.
  
  

Not Eligible:

• Commercial healthcare/pharmaceutical companies (HPIs)

• Health authority administrative offices

• Disease-specific patient advocacy groups

• Government departments or agencies

• Small groups of physicians collaborating solely on educational content

• CPD Activity Oversight

  • Every CPD program must be overseen by a scientific planning committee (SPC) accountable to a fiscally responsible physician organization.

  • The SPC ensures the integrity of the learning environment, the quality of content, and adherence to CPD Ethical Standards.

  • CPD activities must remain free from promotion or sales of products/services for any professional or financial gain, including those of SPC members.
    
    

• SPC Composition & Roles

  • Must include at least two physicians.

  • Should reflect the target audience.

  • Members must understand accreditation/certification responsibilities.

  • A chair and a defined decision-making process are required to manage responsibilities effectively.
    
    

• Disclosure & Declarations

  • All SPC members must sign disclosures and submit role-specific declarations with the application.
    
    

• SPC Responsibilities

  • Uphold CPD Ethical Standards throughout the activity.

  • Identify educational needs of the intended audience.

  • Develop learning objectives.

  • Select educational methods appropriate to the objectives.

  • Appoint SPC members, speakers, moderators, facilitators, and authors.

  • Develop and deliver content.

  • Evaluate learning outcomes.

  • Oversee logistics of the activity.

  • Review disclosures and address conflicts of interest.

  • Ensure commercial support and sponsorship comply with standards.

• Conflict of Interest (COI) Overview

  • A COI arises when external interests interfere or appear to interfere with the primary goal of an accredited CPD activity.

  • Best practices require full transparency of all financial relationships for individuals involved in CPD development through a disclosure process.
    
    

• Disclosure Review Process

  • SPC members: Collect and submit disclosures with your accreditation application.

  • Content contributors (speakers, authors, instructional designers, facilitators, moderators, etc.): Collect disclosures for SPC review.

  • Learner communication: Disclose all relevant financial relationships after SPC review confirms no COIs; ensure transparency through written (slides) and verbal disclosures.
    
    

• COI Management Responsibilities

  • SPC members must review disclosures from each other and all content contributors.

  • Eliminate unresolvable financial relationships and mitigate relevant financial relationships.

• Eligibility for Accreditation

  • CPD activities must have physicians as the primary target audience (specialists, family physicians, or both).
    
    

• Importance of Defining the Target Audience

  • Helps guide program design and content.

  • Determines the most appropriate type of CPD credit.
    
    

• Verification of Physicians’ Credentials

  • Individual physicians can be checked through:

    • Provincial regulatory college directory

    • National medical college directories

  • Ensures correct identification of certified areas of practice in Saskatchewan.

• Purpose of Needs Assessment

  • Collects information to identify the learning needs of the target audience.

  • Learning needs form the basis for learning objectives, content, and educational format.

  • Helps demonstrate a valid professional practice gap by describing:

    • Target audience

    • Work environment or activities

    • Current vs. desired knowledge or skill levels

    • Preferred learning styles
      
      

• Best Practices

  • Use multiple methods to identify needs linked to improved patient care.
    
    

• Key Questions for SPC

  • How common is the need among the target audience?

  • How many different assessment sources support this need?

  • How much does the unmet need hinder health care delivery?

  • How directly does it relate to physician performance?

  • How likely is a CPD activity to improve practice behavior?

  • Are sufficient resources available to address the topic effectively?

  • How receptive will the audience be to a session on this topic?
    
    

• Submission Requirement

  • Since the National Standard (Jan 2018), needs assessment tools (e.g., past evaluations, focus group questionnaires) must be included with the accreditation application.

• Accreditation Requirement

  • Programs must link at least one learning objective to one of the seven physician roles to be eligible for accreditation.
    
    

• CanMEDS & CanMEDS-FM Frameworks

  • Developed by Canadian medical colleges.

  • Outline the abilities physicians and surgeons need to meet patient and population health-care needs.

  • Abilities are organized under seven thematic physician roles.

• Financial Accountability

  • The physician organization holds full responsibility for the CPD activity’s finances.

  • All income and expenses must be processed through the organization.
    
    

• Financial Principles

  • CPD activities should aim to be self-sustaining, not profit-generating.

  • Surplus funds from recurring activities:

    • Earmarked for future planning, development, or delivery of similar activities.

  • Surplus funds from single/non-recurring events:

    • Returned to the physician organization, not individuals.

    • Used to support continuing education within the organization.

• Budget Creation & Submission

  • Include all funding/revenue sources and all expenses, even if internally funded.

  • Specify how any surplus or deficit will be managed.

  • Submit a comprehensive budget with projected revenues and general expenses as part of the application package.

• Commercial Sponsorship Guidelines

  • Follow the CPD Ethical Standards for Accredited CPD Activities when seeking sponsorship.

  • Participant registration fees are required if commercial sponsorship is used.
    
    

• Approved Sponsorship

  • Only CPD-approved sponsorship opportunities may be offered.

  • All sponsorship arrangements must be documented in a written agreement signed by:

    • The CPD provider organization

    • The for-profit sponsor

  • The agreement should reflect the terms, conditions, and purpose outlined in the sponsorship request/prospectus.

• Credit Type and Learning Format

  • The type of CPD credit is determined by the learning format and what the learner will experience.
    
    

• Updates to CFPC Credit Framework

  • Effective December 16, 2024, the Mainpro+ credit framework has been updated.

  • Mainpro+ Certified now encompasses all eligible learning formats, including:

    • Group learning

    • Online modules

    • Knowledge assessments

    • Simulations
      
      

• Additional Notes

  • MOC credits remain unchanged.

• Learning Objectives Requirements

  • Develop objectives that address identified learning needs for:

    • The overall CPD event

    • Individual sessions

  • Objectives must be accessible to participants.
    
    

• Characteristics of Learner-Centered Objectives

  • Specific and concise

  • Focus on short-term, concrete outcomes

  • Describe what learners will do differently after the activity (changes in learner behavior)

• CPD Activity Design

  • Base the activity on professional practice gaps identified in the needs assessment.
    
    

• Program Development

  • Create a detailed agenda including:

    • Topics and speakers

    • Start and end times

    • Q&A/discussion periods

    • Breaks

  • Include learner-centered objectives in the program.

  • Calculate credit hours by totaling educational hours minus breaks.
    
    

• Accountability & Standards

  • Clearly identify the responsible physician organization on all materials.

  • Communicate accreditation standards to all content developers and speakers.

• Informing Content Contributors of Accreditation Standards

  • The SPC must communicate requirements to all content contributors (e.g., presenters, authors, instructional designers, facilitators, moderators).
    
    

• Content Development Requirements

  • Base content and learning objectives on the identified needs of the target audience (SPC should share these needs).

  • Create learner-centered objectives.

  • Present balanced views on therapeutic options, reflecting current scientific literature.

  • Use generic names (or both generic and trade names) and avoid exclusivity/branding.

  • Declare off-label use when recommending medications without regulatory approval.

  • Minimize bias - commercial or otherwise.

  • Disclose all financial relationships with commercial and not-for-profit organizations.

    • Presenters must disclose both verbally and on slides.

  • Include references to evidence used in content development.

  • Adhere to time limits, including interactive elements like Q&A.

  • Ensure SPC review of all content/materials before learner access.

  • Comply with professional standards and legal requirements, including:

    • Privacy

    • Confidentiality

    • Copyright

Your CPD program is now ready to be submitted for credit approval. Before applying, review the Documentation Submission Checklist to ensure you have gathered all required documentation. Once you are confident everything is complete, proceed to the Apply tab to submit your application.

Once your program is approved, you will receive an email confirming accreditation, which includes your official accreditation/certification statement for use on participant certificates and promotional materials. All participants must be able to register and receive a receipt or record of registration. Attendance records are maintained by CME for six years. A certificate of participation or written confirmation, signed by the SPC chair, must be issued to all participants of accredited or certified activities. Physicians claim credits by logging into their member portal with the Royal College (for MOC credits) or the CFPC (for Mainpro+ credits). Non-physicians may also use these certificates as proof of participation.

Each certificate must include:

• Participant name

• Activity title as submitted in the application

• Name/logo of the physician organization responsible for the activity (and co-developer, if applicable)

• Date(s) of the activity

• Location of the activity (city, province, or virtual base)

• Official accreditation/certification statement, including number of CPD credits

• Cert+ session ID (Mainpro+ only)

Purpose of Evaluation

• Evaluation is mandatory for all accredited/certified CPD programs.

• Provides feedback to program planners and faculty to improve future activities.

• Learners must have the opportunity to evaluate the program confidentially and meaningfully, but evaluation should not be required to receive CPD credit.

Mainpro+ Credits: Family physicians can claim one Mainpro+ Non-certified Activity credit for each hour spent on teaching activities. This may include the time spent developing and delivering a presentation. Linking Learning Exercises (Linking Learning to Teaching) can be completed for lecturing and are eligible for five Mainpro+ certified credits.

https://www.cfpc.ca/en/education-professional-development/cpd-at-cfpc/linking-learning-exercises 

MOC Credits: Royal College members may submit MOC Section 2 credits as Personal Learning Projects (PLPs) for preparing formal teaching activities and presentations. MOC Section 3 credits may be claimed for time spent reviewing and reflecting on annual teaching evaluations from CME presentations.

https://www.royalcollege.ca/en/cpd/maintenance-of-certification-program/cpd-activities-can-record.html 

Yes!

College of Family Physicians of Canada members may claim one Mainpro+ Non-certified Activity credit for each hour spent on committee participation, curriculum development and educational planning. Log in to your Mainpro+ account to submit credits.

Royal College members are eligible for unaccredited MOC Section 3 credits for committee participation. The committee focus may include such topics as to improve patient care, physician well-being, professional practice, medical education, health systems, equity, diversity, and inclusion, or planetary health. The committee must have a formal structure, appointment process, defined terms of reference and a minimum of two meetings per year. Committee chairs may claim up to 15 credits per committee. Committee members may claim up to 10 credits per committee. Log in to your My MOC to submit credits.

CFPC

The CFPC has three CPD activity categories: Certified Activities, Certified Assessment Activities, and Non-Certified Activities (see examples in the table below).

• Certified credits are awarded for activities that have been reviewed and approved by the CFPC, a CFPC Chapter, or a Canadian university’s CPD office accredited by the Committee on Accreditation of Continuing Medical Education (CACME) and judged to have met the Mainpro+ standards for certified CPD
•  Non-certified credits may be claimed for activities that have not been formally reviewed by the CFPC but that comply with the CFPC’s definition of CPD are non-promotional in nature, and provide valuable professional learning opportunities.

Combined Activities

A Combined Activity is an educational offering that integrates elements of both a Certified Activity and a Certified Assessment Activity. It involves the structured delivery of educational content, such as seminars, conferences, or webinars, alongside the incorporation of a data-driven assessment component, such as practice audits, simulation activities, or chart reviews. Additionally, any optional activity enhancements must be explicitly linked to the core category of the Combined Activity. These activities are formally reviewed and approved according to the standards for certified CPD set by the CFPC, and they aim to facilitate self-reflection, foster feedback exchange, and drive practice or performance improvement.

Enhanced Activities (Optional)

Must be included with a Certified Activity of Certified Assessment Activity.

For more information, please visit the CFPC website.

RCPSC

The RCPSC has three types of learning modalities: MOC Section 1, MOC Section 2: Individual Learning & MOC Section 3: Feedback and Improvement (see examples in the table below).

For more information, please visit the RCPSC website.

Programs approved as Certified Activities will have a certification period of 12 months from the approval date.

Programs approved as Certified Assessment Activities will have a certification period of 36 months from the approval date.

Faculty development activities, whether Certified or Certified Assessment, will have a certification period of 36 months from the approval date.

With a blended learning program, if both Certified and Certified Assessment aspects are of equal value, the certification period reflects the activity type with the longer duration. If it equals 50 per cent or more, the certification period will be 36 months.

All migrated active programs will maintain their original expiration dates.

Please note that all programs offering two or three credits per hour will have expiration dates no later than December 31, 2025.

Providers who wish to offer participants the opportunity to earn additional optional credits may incorporate the following elements into their program:

• A needs assessment activity for participants, incorporating data from their practice
• Practice tools and resources with follow-up to assess their impact on practice, enhancing relevance and reinforcing learning post-program
• An exercise that includes formal reflection on applying learning to practice over a practical period, aimed at assessing changes in practice
• An objective measurement of change for participants, which may include, but is not limited to:
  • Knowledge test
  • Commitment to change with follow-up
  • Patient outcome measurement

Submitters requesting approval for enhanced activities must submit the proposed activities for review and explain how they align with the program's learning objectives. They must also provide an estimate of the additional time required to complete these activities to justify the allocation of optional credits.

This varies, based on provincial or national certification:

• Provincial Certification: at least one Practising class CFPC member from the province of program delivery
• National Certification: at least two Practising class CFPC members