The Medical Council has stated that for the Professional Competence Year beginning on 1 May 2024 and ending on 30 April 2025, doctors are required to undertake and record the following activity:

• 40 CPD credits (in any category: External, Internal, Personal Learning, Research or Teaching); and
• One Clinical / Practice Audit

If you require further advice on the operation of the Professional Competence Scheme or support in meeting the requirements, please contact us at (pcs@rcsi.ie) or consult our website. 

You are required to complete one clinical/practice audit in respect of your own practice during the PCS year 1^st May 2024 – 30^th April 2025. Essentially this clinical/practice audit is a systematic review and evaluation of your current practice with reference to research-based standards to improve patient care. An audit is a continuous process aiming to improve patient’s care and practice excellence.

The recommended time for audit activity is 12 hours per year. This includes preparation time, data collection. Depending on circumstance (e.g. Hospital practice, independent practice, community practice) this may be easily achievable through systems already in place or may require bespoke projects designed and implemented by the doctor.  RCSI PCS Clinical Audit User Guide  

Creating a Professional Development Plan (PDP) at the beginning of each Professional Competence Scheme year encourages you to plan your activities during the year and to set out goals for your personal development. It can also be used to reflect on and monitor your progress during the year. The aim of creating a Professional Development Plan  is to document a process of self-analysis and set new and clearly definable educational goals for yourself in advance of the Professional Competence Scheme each year.

It is not currently compulsory to complete a Professional Development Plan, however it is recommended that you do so.    

Complete your Professional Development Plan and claim two CPD credits in the Internal Category

Having completed your PDP you may choose to review it with a professional colleague and you may each claim one CPD Credit in the Internal Category

At the end of the year (April 30th), you should review your PDP and assess whether you have met your goals.  You may claim one CPD credit in the Internal Category for reviewing your PDP at the end of the year. 

Full guidelines and forms are available HERE

Guidelines and resources - Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (rcsi.com)

Re-Enrol by paying your fee online

If you are no longer registered with the Medical Council, you should inform us that you have withdrawn from the register and we will no longer issue you with reminders.

If you are now enrolled in a formal (Medical Council accredited) Training Programme, you are not required to enrol in PCS. You should notify us of your status and we will no longer issue you with reminders. 

If you have changed specialty and are enrolling in a PCS scheme operated by a different Training body, you should notify us of your status and we will no longer issue you with reminders.

It is necessary to provide the name of your current Professional Competence Scheme and your enrolment/renewal date when you are submitting your Annual Retention application form with the Medical Council. The Medical Council may ask you for a receipt of renewal/enrolment

If you have forgotten or do not know your login details please email: pcs@rcsi.ie

The Medical Council recognise that periods of certified leave (maternity leave / sick leave) longer than three months may result in a doctor not being able to meet their obligations in relation to professional competence over that period.

If you are (or have been) absent from practice for three months or more during the professional competence year due to maternity or sick leave (which runs from 1st May 2024 -30th April 2025), you should inform RCSI PCS department.  Please complete the Form available here

We will record the absence on your PCS portfolio and an annotation will appear against the relevant year on your Statement of Participation. Where possible, you should try and maintain some engagement in maintenance of professional competence during your absence from practice. You may be required by the Medical Council to produce documentation supporting your absence from practice if you are selected for a Maintenance of Professional Competence Audit.

Your Annual Statement of Participation is the document approved by the Medical Council to demonstrate that you have maintained a formal record of your engagement in professional competence.  Login to your PCS ePortfolio to download your Statement

The Statement summarises what you have recorded on your PCS ePortfolio and will indicate if you have recorded sufficient activities to meet the Medical Council requirements.  If you recorded sufficient activities to meet the Medical Council requirements, your statement will show a "Yes" against the relevant year. If you did not record sufficient activities, a "No" will appear.

It will also indicate if you have reported an absence from practice of three or more months during the professional competence scheme year. 

The IMC may ask you for evidence of participation in a PCS and your Annual Statement of Participation is appropriate evidence for this purposes.   You can access your Statement by logging into your PCS ePorfolio at any time.

Click HERE for guideline on How to download your Statement.

Save the Date – The 4th National Human Factors in Patient Safety Conference – Friday, 25 October 2024

Theme: Thinking Outside the Box in Healthcare

The 4th National Human Factors in Patient Safety conference will bring together a community of Human Factors in Patient Safety advocates across Ireland and abroad. Don’t miss the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and insights from Human Factors experts.

Speakers for our highly anticipated 4th National Human Factors in Patient Safety Conference on Friday, 25 October 2024 from 2pm – 5pm will include:

• Dr Helen Bevan, OBE – Professor of Practice in Health and Care, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick - Rocking the boat while staying in it: How to make change happen and not get wet
• Dr Dale Whelehan – Behaviour Scientist, CEO, 4 Day Week Global – Bringing 4 to the fore, Why the 4 Day Week is better for everyone in healthcare
• Chair – Professor Eva Doherty Director of Human Factors in Patient Safety –Panel Discussion

Please note that this conference will be hybrid (Face to face and online).

For more information, please click  here

Applications closing in less than 4 weeks – MRCS Part A January 2025 

Applications for the next MRCS Part A examination in January 2025 will close in less than 4 weeks on Thursday, 24 October 2024. 

Candidates sitting the MRCS Part A with RCSI will receive free access to our Affiliate Membership which includes over 100 MRCS-specific resources.  

Candidates will receive 15% off PasTest resources for MRCS Part A and free access to our Medical Science for Surgery and Emergency Medicine e-modules.  

To register, please visit: https://bit.ly/mrcsreg

For more information, please visit:  https://bit.ly/mrcsinfo

Interested in learning more about our RCSI Core Surgical Training Programme prior to applications opening for the July 2025 intake?

Join us on Thursday, 10 October 2024 online for our online information session for prospective applicants looking to learn more about our national surgery training programme.

For more information, please click here