CPD Guidelines

BEAI Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Protocol for Allocation of CPD Credits

Updated: October 2021

 

All Clinical Engineers should aim to achieve:

1. 70 credits in 24 months, across a range of activities
2. Personal Learning Plan
3. Reflections on 8 different learning activities in 24 months
4. Record and evidence of CPD activities

 

CPD Units are used to measure activity. One credit is equivalent to one contact hour of participation in an organised continuing education experience.  Each individual should have a minimum of 70 credits of CPD over a 24-month cycle to ensure ongoing professional development.

This target should comprise a spread of a minimum of 5 Credits of CPD (over a 24-month cycle) in each of at least four of the categories specified below:

• Educational Activities                                  
• Approved Scientific Meetings    
• Individual Structured Study                        
• Scientific Publication
• Local Professional Development Activities
• Professional Activities

A log of all CPD should be kept by the engineer.

The allocation of CPD credits should be aligned to the below:

 

CPD Credits - Educational Activities

• Participation as a learner:

Non-examined course:    1 credit per educational hour

Examined course:            2 credits per educational hour

 

• Participation as a teacher:

First delivery:                   2 Credits per teaching hour

Subsequent deliveries:    1 Credit per teaching hour

 

• Certification for MPhil or PhD:          2 credits per month
• Certification for Post-grad Diploma: 2 credits per month

 

• External examiner:

PhD thesis:                                    5 credits per thesis

               MSc thesis:                                   2 credits per thesis

               MSc course:                                  5 credits per year

               Other approved courses:               5 credits per year

CPD Credits - Approved Scientific Meetings

• Attendance:                                     1 credit per educational hour

• Invited or keynote speaker:

               First delivery:                                10 credits per hour

               Subsequent deliveries:                 2 credits per hour

• Proffered paper or poster:               4 credits

• Organiser/member of scientific/organising committee of a nationally advertised meeting:
                                                          5 credits per event

 

CPD Credits - Individual Structured Study

• Structured Study:                            1 credit per educational hour
• Unforeseen learning opportunities: 1 credit per educational hour

For structured individual study, the learning strategy must be agreed with a mentor, specifying the knowledge and skills to be acquired or strengthened, together with the actions to be taken.  Learning experiences undertaken must be recorded and the knowledge and skills gained should be described in a synopsis of 500 words.

Journal reading, undertaken on a specified regular schedule agreed with a mentor, qualifies for CPD credit.

 

CPD Credits - Scientific Publication

• Article published in a refereed journal
        Each principal author:                 8 credits

                  Others:                                        4 credits

• Accepted provisional patent:            5 credits for each author

• Review article, commissioned chapter:
                                                           15 credits divided by the number of authors
• Commissioned paper for government department or national advisory body:          
                                                            8 credits divided by the number of authors
• Non-refereed invited article/book review in a professional scientific publication: 
                                                            2 credits
• Editor of a multi-author work :           10 - 20 credits (in year of publication only)
• Sole or joint author of a book:           20 - 50 credits (in year of publication only)

• Invited referee of a paper or grant application:
                                                            2 credits
• Invited referee of a book:                  2 credits per chapter, max 10  per book
• Editor of a peer-reviewed journal:     10 credits per year

• Member of an editorial board:             5 credits per year

• Editor of journal with national circulation:
                                                              10 credits per year

 

CPD Credits - Professional Activities

Membership of:

• BEAI Committees
• Other professional bodies/organisations related to your career.
• Other health service, government, standards or international bodies
                                                             5 credits per year                           

Holders of senior office in the above:

• President
• Vice President                       
• Honorary Secretary
• Honorary Treasurer
• Chairman
                                                             5 additional credits per year

Activities not attracting CPD Credits

1. Setting exam questions.
2. Lecturing and other teaching of clinical engineering or related courses if employed as an academic.