Most of us will have been in formal education for pretty much our whole lives, going from sixth form and college straight to four or five years of dental school.
Some of you have even read a previous degree before embarking on the BDS/BChD. After all those years of studying in the library until the early hours and seemingly endless assignments... you finally reach the light at the end of the tunnel. You decide it's time to earn some cash and become a 'real person' - and you revel at the thought of not having to read a textbook or attend lectures ever again!
Perhaps it's the emotional rollercoaster of passing BDS or the sheer thrill of graduation that makes us want to temporarily ignore reality? Indeed, the elephant in the room is Continued Professional Development (CPD).
In this article we will remind ourselves of what constitutes as CPD, what the GDC requirements are, and discuss whether it is beneficial... or a curse upon Dentists who just want to get on with their lives?
What is CPD?
The GDC defines CPD as: "study, training, courses, seminars, reading and other activities undertaken by a dentist or dental professional, which could reasonably be expected to advance their professional development, as a dentist or dental professional" (GDC 2011).
CPD was made compulsory by the GDC in 2002. It aims to maintain public confidence in the dental register by showing that dentists keep up to date so that they give their patients the best possible treatment.
What counts as CPD?
There are two types of CPD: General CPD and Verifiable CPD (vCPD).
The scope of General CPD is large and includes all sorts such as:
- Reading journals
- Private study
- VT Study Days
- Clinical Audit
- Background research
- Multimedia learning
- Courses and lectures
What makes CPD verifiable? Simply put, vCPD is more structured and involves a certificate at the end of it (either presented to you on the day, or mailed to you).
A popular way of getting vCPD involves attending conferences where you are clocked in and out of lectures and your hours are totalled up and a certificate is produced for you.
Popular journals such as Dental Update can give you up to four hours of vCPD every issue by answering questions and mailing your answers to them.
There are also many websites dedicated to CPD - they allow you to book on to courses or offer general CPD to read online at your convenience.
What are the GDC requirements?
As Dentists we are required to complete 250 hours of CPD over a five year cycle, of which at least 75 hours must be verifiable. The cycle begins on 1st January after your GDC registration.
You must keep your CPD records for at least five years after the end of the cycle in which they were completed, as you may be asked to send them to the GDC.
Is all CPD for Dentists equal?
On top of this, there are certain types of verifiable CPD which are more 'important' than others. It is recommended that in every five year cycle, there should be vCPD in the following areas:
- medical emergencies - ten hours per CPD cycle
- disinfection and decontamination - five hours per CPD cycle
- radiography and radiation protection - five hours per CPD cycle
How to keep on top of CPD
As the majority of our CPD will be made up of non-verifiable CPD and therefore will not be documented on a formal certificate, it is important to accurately keep records of your general CPD.
Let's break down the hours:
If over a 5 year cycle you only complete the bare minimum of 75 hours vCPD that leaves you to complete 175 hours of general CPD.
This equates to 35 hours a year, or just under three hours a month, or about 40 minutes a week. When we think of it like this, I'm sure we can all agree that the CPD requirements are fair and achievable even in the most hectic of lifestyles.
The different sources of CPD for Dentists are ever increasing with multimedia becoming very popular and convenient. There are websites and small businesses centred around providing CPD for the entire dental team. Even just purchasing a dental book from the right place earns you CPD hours!
So, is it worth the hassle?
You thought you were done with education, so why and how can CPD benefit us?
Here are five ways:
- To keep abreast of the latest developments. We are in a very fast moving career where our materials have a high turnover, and new techniques are changing the way we deliver care to our patients.
- CPD can be fun! The conferences which provide valuable vCPD hours are good for networking and socialising with your dental peers.
- Learn new things. Much of what we have learnt in dental school will be outdated in the next ten years.
- Humans forget things. It happens to Dentists, too. CPD and vCPD can refresh our knowledge of the forgotten but important parts of dentistry.
- Allows us to experience a change and a healthy break from the daily grind!
As Dentists, we owe our patients the best care we can deliver. What is the point of graduating from some of the best dental schools in the world when we do not maintain and develop our skills?
It is important as young dentists to develop good habits early on with regard to participating and accurately recording our CPD activities. With so many methods of gaining CPD, it really does not have to be a curse at all!
Jasneet Singh Gulati
Co-founder and Dental Blogger from TeethGeek.com (Online Community of Dental Students)
Dental Protection is the leading indemnity provider.
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