CPD and lifelong learning
Professionals in Global Mobility work with constantly changing compliance requirements. We need to undertake continuing professional development (CPD) to ensure that we remain up to date and effective in our daily practice.
All members of OPGM are bound by the statement of values, which requires them to 'continually improve performance and update or refresh their skills and knowledge'.
A strong personal programme of continuing professional development, properly recorded, will also build your confidence and credibility at work and give you an evidence base for appraisals.
OPGM recommends that professionals wanting to achieve or maintain their MOPGM or FOPGM designation undertake lifelong learnings each year, to demonstrate a commitment to continuing professional development and keep their knowledge and skills up to date. There are plenty of activities that count towards your CPD, including OPGM courses , conferences , webinars as well as independent learning .
We are not concerned with how much time you spend on your learnings, instead, our approach is focused on the outcomes and results. CPD is about capturing useful experiences and assessing the practical benefits of what you have learned.
We also recommend keeping a log of activities, copies of attendance certificates and other evidence of your learning. You can record you CPD achievements in your online account, under MyCPD.
Career benefits
- As well as improving professional practice, lifelong learning can help your career by:
- Building confidence and credibility in your ability to do your work
- Demonstrating your achievements
- Giving you a tool for appraisals
- Bringing focus to your training and development
- Giving you tools to cope with the constantly changing regulatory environment
- Helping you become more productive and efficient
- Highlighting gaps in your knowledge and experience which you can address to achieve the career progression you desire.
The learning cycle
The 'learning cycle' concept is well recognised and used by many organisations to support effective continuous professional development and lifelong learning in all biomedical sciences. Thinking about the different stages of the learning cycle can help you get the most out of your continuous professional development activities.
Stages of the CPD cycle:- Plan: Clear outcomes and milestones to track progress on your end goal
- Do: Take courses, join webinars, read articles, find a mentor; be open to learning experiences
- Reflect: How did these learnings impact on your plan of action
- Apply: Create opportunities to put the theory in to practice
- Impact: Measure the success the learnings had on your growth and the work you do/ want to do
