The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada will only accredit continuing professional development (CPD) activities that have been developed by a physician organization. New definition updated on July 1, 2026. Please check on the definition of ‘Physician Organization’ before preparing your application.
Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their application is submitted well in advance of the learning event start date.
- Applications submitted within 6 weeks (30 business days) of the learning even will be subject to a late fee.
- MOC 1 applications submitted within 3 weeks of the learning event will not be reviewed.
- MOC 3 events submitted within 4 weeks of the learning event will not be reviewed.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to plan accordingly and allow sufficient time for review and potential revisions prior to the event date.
Learning Events cannot be accredited retrospectively.
Statements on any promotional materials indicating that an activity is “pending approval” are strictly prohibited. Applications submitted within 6 weeks (30 business days) of the learning event will be levied a late fee. MOC 1 Applications submitted within three weeks and MOC 3 Applications submitted within four weeks of the learning event will not be reviewed. Additional fee payments may apply for complex application reviews. The CME & PD Office reserves the right to ask for additional documentation to verify administrative, educational and/or ethical standards have been met.
1. Learning events developed by Physician Organizations can be reviewed and approved by the Office of CME & PD for:
- RCPSC MOC Section 1 group learning activities
- RCPSC MOC Section 3 self-assessment programs
- RCPSC MOC Section 3 simulation activities
2. If you are a physician organization seeking to co-develop a program with The Office of CME&PD, contact cme.accredit@ucalgary.ca
3. If you are a University of Calgary applicant seeking assistance with accreditation for CFPC Mainpro+, click here for criteria.
4. If you are not a University of Calgary applicant and are seeking accreditation for CFPC Mainpro+, click here.
There are 3 types of activities that you can seek accreditation for. Please consider each activity type and read their descriptions below before continuing with your application:
- Group learning is an important development activity for physicians and provides an opportunity to confirm or expand areas of knowledge or practice management, to identify potential new therapies or approaches for practice, and to share practice issues or experiences with peers.
- Activities include conferences, symposia, seminars, and workshops
- Activities are approved for a maximum of one year from the start date of the activity.
- Refer to the Royal College CPD Accredited Standards Group Learning Activities (Section 1) as you complete this application and prepare the attachments.
MOC Section 3: Self-assessment Program
- Self-assessment programs assess knowledge or the application of knowledge in specific areas, topics, or domains
- Self-assessment programs use structured formats, such as multiple-choice questions, and require participants to select the appropriate response.
- Participants receive feedback on the answers to provide opportunities to identify areas for improvement and future learning.
- Activities are approved for a maximum of three years from the start date of the activity.
- Refer to the Royal College CPD Accredited Standards Self-assessment program (Section 3) as you complete this application and prepare the attachments.
MOC Section 3: Simulation-based Activity
- Simulation approximates real-life situations. Simulation-based learning activities allow participants to demonstrate (and receive feedback on) their scientific and tacit knowledge, clinical reasoning, and skills in communication, problem-solving and teamwork.
- Simulation Activities must provide learners with a strategy to assess their knowledge, skills, clinical judgement, and attitudes, in comparison to established evidence (scientific or tacit). All simulation programs must enable learners to demonstrate their abilities across the key areas of the scenario(s), topic(s), or problem(s)
- Activities are approved for a maximum of three years from the start date of the activity.
- Refer to the Royal College CPD Accredited Standards simulation-based learning activity (Section 3) as you complete this application and prepare the attachments.
Accreditation will not be granted retroactively.
The organization that developed the activity is responsible for maintaining all records (including attendance records) for a 5-year period.
The national standard for support of accredited CPD activities (the “National Standard”) guides the ability of accredited CPD providers and other parties in Canada to safeguard high-quality CPD from commercial influence, outline a clearly defined role for sponsors of CPD activities, and standardize the development and delivery of CPD activities for both family physicians and specialist physician audiences.
The standards contained within this application must be met and supporting documents provided in order for an educational event to be approved under Section 1 of the MOC program. The Office of Continuing Medical Education and Professional Development, University of Calgary will determine if your event meets these standards.
The Royal College has also created a CPD activity toolkit to help developers of educational activities.
- Conducting a Needs assessment
- Establishing Learning Objectives
- Educational Delivery Methods
- Gathering Participant Feedback
- How to Avoid Conflicts of Interest
- Planning Committees
The Continuing Medical Education & Professional Development Office (CME & PD Office) has created helpful resources: https://cumming.ucalgary.ca/cme/accreditation
National Standard for Support of Accredited CPD Activities – Visit
RCPSC – CPD Accreditation Resources – Visit
CFPC – CPD Accreditation Resources – Visit
Guide to Grand Round Accreditation – Download PDF
ACFP – CPD Accreditation Resources – Visit
Guide to Writing Multiple Choice Questions – Download PDF