Recertification and professional development
To ensure that you are continuing to maintain your competence to practise medicine, you must meet recertification programme requirements set by Council, including any minimum continuing professional development (CPD) requirements.
What is recertification?
The Medical Council is responsible for ensuring that you are competent and fit to practise medicine. One of the ways that it does this is by requiring you to meet the requirements of recertification programmes set by Council, including satisfying any continuing professional development (CPD) requirements included in the programme.
A recertification programme is the name given to the set of activities and processes that Council requires you undertake or satisfy, on an on-going basis, to demonstrate that you are continuing to maintain your competence to practice. This includes participating in continuing professional development.
Strengthened recertification requirements
The Council has recently strengthened the recertification programme requirements for vocationally-registered doctors in New Zealand. The requirements build on existing systems and put emphasis on activities that relate to the actual work doctors do and that are most likely to improve practice.
Accredited recertification programme providers are expected to work towards these requirements, with implementation by 1 July 2022.
Requirements for each scope of practice
Your recertification programme requirements will generally depend on what scope, or scopes, of practice you are registered and practising in. However, there are exceptions and special cases. Please check the categories below to determine your specific requirements, relevant to the scope, or scopes of practice you hold:
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If you are registered and practising in a vocational scope only, you must participate in the recertification programme offered by the medical college or other approved recertification provider responsible for your vocational scope of practice.
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This page sets out the recertification programme requirements for doctors registered and practising in the General scope of practice only. This is typically either participation in a medical college vocational training programme, or in the Inpractice recertification programme.
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If you are registered and practising in both the General and a vocational scope of practice, you need to meet recertification requirements in both scopes of practice.
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If you are registered and practising in the provisional general scope as either a New Zealand or Australian medical graduate, or a doctor who has passed the NZ Registration Examination, you are required to complete prevocational medical training.
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If you are registered and practising in the provisional general scope via the UK/Irish graduates, comparable health system or the Australian general registrant pathway, you must practice in a Council-approved position, under Council-approved supervision.
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If you are registered and practising in a provisional vocational scope you must practise in a Council-approved position at specialist/consultant level, under Council-approved supervision.
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If you are registered and practising in a special purpose scope, you must practise in a Council-approved position, under Council-approved supervision.
Changes to your recertification programme requirements
You need to contact us, at pc@mcnz.org.nz, if you wish to pause your participation in your current recertification programme. It is important that your practising certificate accurately records your recertification programme requirements.
If you are practising in your General scope or in a vocational scope
You must be enrolled and actively participating in the appropriate recertification programme at all times while you are practising, even if you are just doing locum work.
Please contact us by email at pc@mcnz.org.nz if you are proposing to make a change and wish to discuss your recertification programme options.
If you are practising in either the provisional general, a provisional vocational, or a special purpose scope
You must practise medicine under approved supervision and in an approved position. Any changes to your employer, position, location or supervisor must be approved by Council before the change is made. Please contact your registration coordinator, or email us at enquiry@mcnz.org.nz, to discuss any potential changes or see the page below around how to apply for a variation.
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Tell us who you are so we can better direct your enquiry
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You cannot work outside the requirements of your scope of practice and any requirements set by Council specific to you. These are shown on your practising certificate. If you are registered within a provisional general, provisional vocational or a special purpose scope of practice, you need our approval of any change to your employment, supervision, position or location.
Once we've received and approved your variation application we will issue you a new practising certificate.