CPD FAQs

Please contact us as soon as possible to determine the most appropriate course of action.

Active Members Returning to Residency Training

Active members who stop their practice to pursue additional full-time residency training (e.g., emergency medicine, psychiatry, or other) will have their current Mainpro+ cycle stopped and be assigned a temporary Resident member cycle (they may continue to report Mainpro+ credits as per usual with no restriction on the number of credits that may be earned and reported). Upon completion of residency training, these individuals will be assigned to a new five-year Active cycle; they may carry forward a maximum of 40 certified Mainpro+ credits from their Resident member cycle to this new Active cycle. These individuals are eligible for a reduced membership fee only if pursuing full-time residency training (please contact the membership department for more information).

Note: Training courses and projects that are considered part of a residency program/curriculum are not eligible for Mainpro+ credits (these are considered medical education versus continuing medical education/continuing professional development).

Active Members Completing Post-Graduate Didactic or Enhanced Skills Training

Active members who pursue additional post-graduate education (e.g., Masters of education, PhD in epidemiology) or participate in enhanced skills training (e.g., three months training in obstetrics, pain management or other) will remain Active members and may continue to report Mainpro+ credits as per usual (no restriction on the number of credits earned and reported). Individual consideration for cycle extension must be made in writing to the CPD Manager; individual consideration for membership fees must be made in writing to Membership Manager.

Yes, you are required to fulfill your Mainpro+ requirements during a sabbatical. If you are taking a minimum of six consecutive months off from practice due to illness or maternity/paternity leave, please contact us as soon as possible to determine the most appropriate course of action.

Affiliate Specialist members are individuals who hold certification in a medical specialty other than family medicine and whose primary practice is in that specialty. Participation in CPD activities approved for members under Mainpro+ is not necessary for these members if they participate actively in the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. However, individuals must submit a copy of their annual RCPSC credit profile to the CFPC CPD Department.

Members residing in countries other than Canada and the United States may claim credit for local CME/CPD activities provided that:

The activities fulfill the CME/CPD requirements of a national college or academy of family physicians in which they are members, or;

The activities are judged to be equivalent in quality and standards to those approved through Mainpro+.

Individuals must submit a copy of their annual credit profile or information regarding CPD activities completed to the CFPC CPD Department. For programs being held in the United States of American, please visit our AAFP page to read more about AAFP and ABFM activities.

Sustaining members are physicians who are no longer actively engaged in providing medical care to patients, but who are engaged in another medical or medically-related field (e.g., hospital administration, health care consulting). There are two categories of Sustaining members, each with different CPD/Mainpro+ requirements:

1. New Sustaining members (those who were placed in the Sustaining member category on January 1, 2005, or later) must submit 250 Mainpro+ credits in every five-year Mainpro+ cycle, of which:

• At least 125 must be Certified Mainpro credits; 
• The remainder may be Non-Certified Mainpro+ credits.

2. Longstanding Sustaining members (those who were placed in the Sustaining member category prior to January 1, 2005) 

• Participation in Mainpro+ (submission of CME/CPD credits) is highly recommended but not mandatory. 
• Participation in Mainpro+ is particularly recommended for members whose scope of work is in a province where revalidation of licensure has or is being implemented.

Participation in Mainpro+ is recognized as meeting provincial licensing authorities’ requirements for revalidation. Mainpro+ is a flexible program, which respects the decisions physicians make regarding their continuing professional development (CPD) needs. If you have participated in or are considering registering for a CPD activity that is meaningful to you and your scope of work but not Mainpro+ accredited, please do not hesitate to contact our CPD department to request individual consideration.

All cycles begin on July 1 following enrollment as a member and/or upon completion of the CFPC certification examination. For example, if you completed the certification exam in June of 2016, your first five-year CPD cycle would begin on July 1, 2016, and would end on June 30, 2021.

For programs being held in the United States of America, please visit our AAFP page to read more about AAFP and ABFM activities.

Mainpro+ credits are available to recognize learning from experience, not for the practice of family medicine. There are two avenues available for you to claim Mainpro+ credits based on this type of experience.  For any teaching you have formally provided during your volunteer experience, you can claim one non-certified Self-Learning Mainpro+ credit per hour of teaching. You can also complete a “Linking Learning” exercise that guides you through reflection on your learning related to this activity.