Continuing Professional Development FAQs Regarding the Collège des médecins du Québec Regulations

While credits for many Mainpro+ activities are generally converted to one recognized CMQ hour of participation, there are some exceptions. Some Mainpro+ activities are certified at two or three credits per hour, and for these programs the CMQ accepts the hours of participation, not the credit totals. Mainpro+ non-certified credits are generally converted to one CMQ non-recognized hour of participation. The CFPC does the credit-to-hour calculations for you when your activities are transferred to the CMQ.

• One-credit-per-hour activity: # credits = # hours
• Two-credit-per hour activity: # credits divided by 2 = # hours
• Three-credit-per-hour activity: # credits divided by 3 = # hours

The Mainpro+ year runs from July 1st to June 30th, while the CMQ year runs from January 1st to December 31st. We recommend that you check your accounts regularly to ensure you are compliant based on each organization’s CPD requirements.

The CMQ and the CFPC have similar CPD frameworks (e.g., 250 credits [hours] over five years). However, there is some variation between the two systems. For the 25 credits (hours) annual minimum, the Mainpro+ program includes non-certified activities while the CMQ counts only recognized (certified) activities. Also, CFPC CPD programs certified at two or three credits per hour will be sent to the CMQ as hours of participation, not the credit total.

A few other differences exist between the two credit reporting systems, one being that the CMQ does not limit the number of Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada credits or American Medical Association (AMA) credits. Therefore, the usual Mainpro+ limit of 50 certified Royal College or AMA credits per five-year Mainpro+ cycle is not enforced in the CMQ system. The additional credits beyond the 50 certified may be entered as non-certified credits in Mainpro+, but they will be transferred as recognized credits to the CMQ.

The CMQ does not allow carry-over credits from one cycle to the next; therefore, carry-over credits are not transferred from Mainpro+ to the CMQ platform. Any carry-over credits you have from one Mainpro+ cycle will continue to be carried over into your next Mainpro+ cycle up to a maximum of 40 certified credits. This occurs only if you have met the Mainpro+ minimum cycle requirements.

The Mainpro+ program offers a variety of activities that meet the evaluation hour requirement of the CMQ. These activities can be found in the Assessment category under certified credits. For example, did you know you can earn up to five certified credits (hours) by completing a Linking Learning to Assessment reflection activity? You can also search for certified Assessment activities in the CFPC’s CPD events calendar.

To use any Special Designations obtained through the CFPC (e.g., CCFP, FCFP, CAC, etc.), you must be a member of the CFPC. The CFPC’s Mainpro+ program is the nationally recognized CPD program for family physicians in Canada. As a member of the CFPC you will receive regular communications and information about Mainpro+, which includes the latest information on important topics such as research, advocacy, and outreach, as well as access to CFPC-specific resources such as the Canadian Family Physician journal.

You may still enter your activities for a previous year after the deadline. These would count toward the minimum requirements if you had not met this requirement by the deadline.

The first credits (hours) registered during the following year will count toward meeting the minimal requirements of the previous year. For example, if you have registered only 20 credits (hours) in 2019, the first five credits (hours) entered in 2020 will count toward the 2019 minimal requirement. You will need to register an additional 25 credits (hours) to meet the 2020 requirements.