Teaching/learning and Podiatry CPD (CME)

CPD & IPP's

Hi All

Well I have done a lot of thinking on MY position on the proposed compulsory CPD .

Perhaps food for thought and comment ??

I work alone in an established private practice .

My income is from my "fee earning time" which is offset against my " practice management time".

I said I work "alone" that is not strictly true as there are three separate parts of "alone" :-

Firstly there is

ME :- ( who makes all the decisions and with whome the buck stops)

MYSELF ( who does everything)

And

I ( who is the "must do" motivator)

Between we three, we run , manage ,administer and Fee earn to survive.

Now I have done a bit of soul searching ( thank you Craig) on MY levels of CPD and I have identified some shortcomings in my thinking as it is now going to be compulsory.

My present CPD is mainly computer / literarture based with the occasional "away" course which has to be very relevent to my practice needs , ie new technology I want to integrate in my practice that has a RELEVANT BENEFIT TO PATIENT CARE STANDARDS.

If I was employed in the NHS on contract or permanent basis ( salaried staff), I would be allowed PAID study leave to complete any course that was required.

As an IPP, I now have to look at a reduction in my fee earning capacity , the expense of :- the course ,travelling , earning potential ( lost calls ect) as well as the additional paperwork involved ( loss of fee earning time)and to have the unremmiting backlog of patients requiring treatment I have to cope with on my return.

If the HPC is now going to insist on a set level of CPD then , if I am to pay for the privilage they must ,in my opinion , bear their responsability as well to ME as an IPP.


To quote Craig :-

"Under the reflective/critical thinker/self directed type approach, what can you do?... perhaps spend the day seeing patients with a collegue who does a lot of biomechanics and orthoses; find a mentor who is willing to 'debrief' with you after each biomechanics patient ("what could I have done better?); buy a couple of books; read the Biomechanics forum here; organise a 'journal club' type mtg with collegues; spend an afternoon at an orthotic lab; maybe do a course, but its a small part of the plan ---- BUT, most importantly spend time reflecting on these activities, making notes etc on what was learned and how it can be applied".

Now with that in mind economics come into play again.

Why can I not pop in to a CPD course at my local University hospital laid on an publicised by the HPC /NHS perhaps one or two a month say midweek that I could integrate with my workload ( as could others within the NHS) ??

Do I really need to travel the country ??

If I do , I will either look for neibourhood CPD wherever I can get it ( to make up the required hours / points ect) or :-

take a drop in my income thereby affecting patient care standards (ie , I won't be able to afford new technology)

If I am to develop my educational growth as expected why can I not expect the same terms as my "salaried colleagues" ??

What say you ??

Cheers

Derek