Following last month’s piece on CPD Officer roles, Jocelyn Pryce, IBMS Head of Registration and Training, answers questions received by the CPD Team.
In February, I was invited to speak about CPD at a couple of events, and my brief was to cover “how to complete CPD”, “what constitutes good CPD?” and “what are the benefits of good CPD?” This request stimulated a period of reflection about my own CPD.
As a registered Biomedical Scientist and Chartered Scientist, I have undertaken CPD for many years and, therefore, I could have been audited by either the HCPC, the Science Council, or both. Consequently, my mindset and completion of CPD was always directed towards satisfying the requirements of these bodies. However, my reflection recognised that the evidence produced for my CPD should not be thought of as an extra task, but as a physical manifestation of a practice that occurs throughout every part of my life.
CPD is personal; there is no right or wrong. Good CPD evidence shows development, progression and learning. Embrace the principles of life-long learning; don’t stand still.
CPD could be based on specific needs identified through appraisal, or as part of more fluid career pathway choices. The evidence should be varied, so consider moving outside of your comfort zone. It doesn’t have to be directly related to your day-to-day role, you may be preparing for a new experience and the development you undertake could be valuable for that. Don’t discount opportunities for undertaking CPD because on the face of it they don’t appear relevant.
There will always be perceived barriers to willingly undertaking CPD and those quoted to me have included time, resources and geography. But my challenge to you is to be inventive – look at every experience with a view to using it to develop.
The IBMS recently adopted a new scheme for the recording of CPD, which allows members to collate evidence into an e-portfolio. The emphasis has moved away from CPD being points-based, because many lost sight of why we are required to do it and turned it into a “points win prizes” competition. The ethos of undertaking reflective development should be the recognition that it is a naturally occurring characteristic of those wishing to improve rather than a task. There are five categories and a diploma will be awarded upon reaching 24 activities (with reflection) across at least three of these.
The CPD Team offers support and advice on the technical aspects of the scheme, but the CPD evidence you produce is personal to your circumstances. The responsibility of analysing gaps in your knowledge and responding to this lies with you. Of course, you will also have the support of your local CPD Officer too. You are not alone.
So, if you have previously been someone who ran from the room when CPD was mentioned, or considered yourself too old or too experienced for development, please, think again – you could try it. What’s the worst that could happen?
For information on the IBMS CPD scheme www.ibms.org/learning/cpd