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Professional Competence
 

Guidelines and Resources

Home/Learn and Develop/Lifelong Learning/Professional Competence/Professional Competence Guidelines and Resources/Absent from Practice?
 

Absent from Practice?

 

Overview

Sometimes, for various reasons, you may not be able to practise medicine for a period of time - but the Medical Council does not allow you to stay on the register if you cannot meet professional competence requirements.

Leave from practice may have an impact on your ability to meet the legal minimum professional competence requirements, and this may then be reflected on your Annual Statement of Participation.

You are advised to maintain some level of engagement in Professional Competence; however, this may not always be feasible.

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Annual Statement Annotation

If the duration of your absence from practice lasts for 90 days or more within a professional competence year, and falls into one of the categories listed below, it will be possible to make an annotation on your Annual Statement of Participation in Professional Competence.

  • Maternity leave
  • Medically certified sick leave
  • Bereavement leave
  • Parental leave
  • Adoptive leave
  • Carer’s leave

While you don't need to upload certificates to your ePortfolio, you should keep them in a safe place.

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Recording an Absence from Practice in ePortfolio

  • Click “Create a new event”
  • Choose “Record an Absence from Practice”
    • “Date Occurred on” is the start date for your record
    • “End Date” is the end date for your record
  • Pick the Professional Competence Year that applies to your absence
    • If the end date for your absence from practice is after 30 April, please complete a separate form for the dates that apply to each year
  • Click "Submit"

RCPI Help Centre: 

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Sabbatical or Extended Leave

If you stay on the Medical Council register while on sabbatical or extended leave you are expected to continue to meet your professional competence scheme requirements.

The Medical Council does not allow doctors to stay on the register if they cannot meet professional competence scheme requirements.

If your absence from practice has an impact on your ability to meet professional competence requirements, you should consider removing yourself from the medical register.

If you do not practice medicine and do not intend to practise medicine for the foreseeable future, the Medical Council advises you to voluntarily withdraw from the register.

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Contact Us

We have a highly experienced Professional Competence support team. They are always happy to answer your questions and advise you on how to maintain professional competence.  The fastest way to contact this department is by logging in to our support desk here.

  • If you need help with your ePortfolio, we can arrange a convenient time to work with you to ensure your records are up to date.
  • If you need advice on how to apply for CPD approval for your event submit your event title and proposed date and we will talk you through what you need to do.
  • Contact the Professional Competence team at professionalcompetence@rcpi.ie.  If you would like a callback, please let us know the best time and phone number to call you.

Alternatively, you might like to visit Professional Competence FAQs

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