To the Medical Board of Australia (MBA), Federal Government, and Relevant Authorities,

We, the undersigned medical professionals, call for the immediate reconsideration and reform of the mandatory Continuing Professional Development (CPD) regime. While the ethos of continuous learning is central to the medical profession, the current system compromises ethical principles, professional dignity, and equitable access. It has devolved into an exercise in compliance and commodification, undermining the very purpose it claims to serve: enhancing care and upholding professional excellence.

 
The Ethical and Philosophical Failures of the CPD Regime

1. The Ethical Burden of Financial Exploitation
   Some CPD Homes charge $500 to review an audit failure and $2,000 to appeal (Osler), creating insurmountable barriers for doctors to challenge decisions that may be flawed or unfair.
   These fees, coupled with high annual costs of up to $1,643 and the $6,500 accreditation fee levied by the AMC, transform professional development into a marketplace of profiteering.
   A system designed to nurture growth has instead commodified learning, raising profound ethical concerns about the exploitation of those committed to public service.
2. The Displacement of Professional Autonomy
   Doctors are bound by a higher calling to heal and to serve, guided by an internal moral compass and professional integrity. The CPD regime’s rigid requirements—mandating excessive documentation and prescriptive reflective analyses—reduce this autonomy to mere compliance.
   Professional development thrives in freedom, not in the constraints of bureaucratic mandates. This system undermines the trust placed in doctors to self-direct their learning in ways that best serve their patients and their practice.
3. The Inequity of Opportunity
   The CPD system demands the same from all but provides far less to those in rural, solo, or underserved practice settings. These practitioners are told to “find a peer group” as though technology and willpower can substitute for structural support.
   Justice demands that a system recognize and address disparities. Instead, this regime imposes uniformity at the cost of fairness, forcing some doctors to shoulder disproportionate burdens simply because of where or how they practice.
4. The Moral Misstep of a Punitive Approach
   The audit process, which randomly selects 5% of doctors annually, locks records and leaves no room for corrections or amendments after January 31. Failure results in being labeled as “non-compliant” and reported to the Medical Board—a mark that carries professional and reputational consequences.
   The process imposes a culture of fear, where compliance is valued over genuine growth, and where the consequences of failure are punitive rather than restorative. A system driven by penalties, not partnership, fails the ethical principle of supporting those it governs.
5. The Absence of Evidence and Accountability
   No compelling evidence underpins the regime, and no clear metrics exist to evaluate their success. The system was implemented based on speculative benefits and vague assurances, without accountability for its outcomes.
   Ethically, any policy that imposes such profound impacts must be grounded in rigorous, transparent evidence. To do otherwise disrespects the professionals it affects and the patients they serve.
    

A Call to Ethical Reform
We propose the following actions to restore the integrity, equity, and purpose of the CPD regime:

1. Respect Professional Autonomy: Empower doctors to direct their own learning within a flexible framework that recognizes their expertise and commitment to excellence.
2. Address Financial Exploitation: Cap fees for audits, appeals, and CPD Home accreditation to prevent the commodification of professional development.
3. Promote Equity: Tailor CPD requirements to account for the challenges faced by rural, solo, and small-practice doctors, ensuring all can participate without undue hardship.
4. Foster a Supportive Culture: Replace the punitive audit model with one that prioritizes collaboration, offering doctors the opportunity to correct errors and grow without fear of retribution.
5. Ensure Evidence-Based Policy: Establish transparent evaluation metrics to assess the impact of CPD reforms on professional development and patient outcomes, holding the system accountable for its results.

Conclusion:

The current CPD regime betrays its promise to uplift and strengthen the medical profession. It shifts the focus from meaningful learning to bureaucratic compliance, from equity to exploitation, and from partnership to punishment. Such a system does not honor the ethical principles upon which medicine is built.

We believe in a vision of professional development that inspires growth, supports equity, and respects the dignity of every doctor. Reform is not merely a practical necessity—it is a moral imperative.

Sign this petition to demand a CPD system that upholds the principles of fairness, integrity, and purpose, ensuring it serves the profession and the patients it is meant to protect.