From 1^st May 2025, a new revised Maintenance of Professional Competence (MPC) Framework Model has been introduced.  Requirements for 2025 – 2026 PCS year are 50 cpd credits across four categories.

Professional Development Plan (PDP)  - 5 cpd credits (Mandatory)

Completing a Professional Development Plan is now a mandatory requirement.  It helps you plan learning activities relevant to your scope and stage of practice.

• Creating a plan earns 5 cpd credits
• Additional credits may be claimed under Work-Based Learning if your plan is reviewed by a peer/colleague and you reflect on it at year-end.

The Practice Review Category -10 cpd credits

The former Clinical audit category has been expanded to include:

• Audit
• Quality Improvement Projects
• Practice Evaluation

A minimum of 10 credits (10 hours) is required in this category  

Click HERE for Guidelines.

Work Based Learning Category -15 cpd credits

This category now includes activities previously recorded under the Internal / Personal Learning and Research and Training category.  Examples include:

• Grand rounds
• Multi-disciplinary team meetings,
• Committee meetings,
• Personal reading or study,
• Research, Publications, Teaching, Examining

Accredited Continuing Education (CE) Category - 20 cpd credits

Accredited CE activity includes attendance at relevant educational events, conferences, courses and workshops at local, national and international level.  Continuing Education (CE) activity MUST be accredited in Ireland or in the State where it is delivered. 

Examples include: 

• Local, Regional, National, International accredited meetings,
• Conferences/Seminars/ Webinars/Presentations to scientific meetings.
• Courses / Workshops/
• Relevant academic qualification (Degree,Diploma course).

For further details please click HERE

Medical Council Information Booklet on new Framework

For doctors previously enrolled in the Professional Competence Scheme, we wish to inform you that your historical records have now been successfully migrated to the New Portal.  These records are available in a read-only format. 

To access them, please visit the My Summary section on the Portal.  You can also download your Statement of Participation for previous years directly from this section.

Creating a Professional Development Plan (PDP) is now a mandatory requirement. 

It allows you to plan your activities during the year and set out goals for your personal development. By creating a PDP at the beginning of the year, it can be used to reflect on and monitor your progress throughout the year, including planning how your activities will match your annual PCS requirements and review how many credits you think you will be able to accumulate during the year.

To achieve the best results in professional performance, PDPs need to be prospective rather than retrospective.

PDPs should consider all the various roles that you fulfil in your job and the steps you need to take to update your knowledge, maintain your experience and improve your skills if necessary.

How to create your plan

• Sign in to the PCS Portal to begin your plan.
• Click on the 'PCS plan' tile and complete your plan by identifying events, meetings, learning materials or discussion topics that will assist you in meeting your requirements. Your CPD activities must cover each of the eight domains of good professional practice at least once in a three-year period.
• Once you have your plan created and submitted, you will receive 5 CPD credits.
• If you send your plan to be reviewed by a colleague, both you and the reviewer will receive an additional CPD credit in the work-based learning category.
• If you reflect on your plan at the end of the year, you will receive an additional CPD credit in the work-based learning category. 

How To Create your Professional Development Plan

How to send your Professional Development Plan to be reviewed

If you are absent from practice for three months or more during the Professional Competence year which runs from 1st May 2025 - 30th April 2026, you should inform RCSI PCS department.  Examples of circumstances that may result in a shortfall in minimum requirements are:

• Maternity leave
• Certified sick leave
• Carer's leave
• Parental leave
• Bereavement leave
• Adoptive leave

Where possible, you should maintain some level of engagement in the maintenance of your professional competence while on leave.  

You should sign in to your PCS Portal. Scroll to the ‘make a request’ section on your dashboard and click on ‘confirm extended absence from work’. Here you can complete the online form.

If your absence has occurred for three months or more during the professional competence year (which runs from 1 May to 30 April), we will record the absence on your PCS portfolio and an annotation will be appear against the relevant year on your Statement of Participation.  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. 

As previously communicated, we have moved to a new  Professional Competence Scheme Portal, developed to support the implementation of the New Framework for Professional Competence, effective from 1st May 2025. 

If it is your first time signing into the NEW RCSI Portal, you need to Sign Up for an account.  Access the new PCS Portal HERE.  

When you click on Sign up Now, you will need to enter your Name and email details:

You will then need to follow the instructions on creating your password.   

If you have already signed up to the RCSI Portal, you will need to Sign In using your preferred email address.   

Once your account is activated, you will have full access to the PCS Portal.  Once logged in, you can familiarize yourself with the new layout and features available. 

Re-enrolment Instructions:

To re-enrol for 1st May 2025 – 30th April 2026, click on the Pay now button at the top of the screen.  You will need to confirm that your registration, personal, educational and work details are correct.

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.

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

You can sign in to your RCSI PCS portal on your smartphone and the mobile adapted version of PCS will open enabling you to view your details and upload activities.

Launch the browser on your phone

Navigate to:   www.rcsi.com/portal

Sign In to the Portal on your mobile phone.  

Click on the icon at the top to download and then add to your home screen on your phone.   When you Save to your home screen and RCSI Icon will appear on your phone.  

A receipt can  be accessed through the 'My Receipts' area of the PCS Portal.  This is your confirmation of enrolment on the Professional Competence Scheme.  

Please sign in to the Portal www.rcsi.com/portal and under your name on top right hand corner, you will see My Receipts.

Please note that enrolment for our 2025/26 CPD Support Scheme is now open.

Applications for the support scheme can be submitted here.

This year’s programme includes a wide range of courses for NCHD's in surgery and emergency medicine including Trauma 360 - Simulation for Survival Certificate, Managing Adverse Events, Core Clinical Communication Skills for Aspiring Surgeons, and more. The programme also includes self-paced online courses, including a new course, Good Clinical Practice, Safe Clinical Handovers, Communication Skills for Video and Telephone Consultations and Medical Science for Surgery and Emergency Medicine.

For more information, please click here or email cpdss@rcsi.ie