Ahpra Courses

Ethics & Professionalism CPD Courses for Doctors in Australia

Online ethics and professionalism education for doctors and medical practitioners, written with reference to Medical Board of Australia standards and Good Medical Practice. Self-paced, scenario-based, with a dated certificate you record against your own CPD requirement.

OnlineSelf-paced ~2 hours per courseScenario assessment Certificate on completionA$99 per course 20-hour program A$990

Version 2.0  ·  Last reviewed 9 September 2026  ·  MBA requirement: 50 hours per year via a CPD home

Programs

Choose the program that matches your Medical Board concern

Each program is a set of courses in a deliberate order, enrolled in once. You pay a single price and every course in the program unlocks in your account immediately. Prefer to pick your own? Browse all courses individually.

If a notification has been made about you, contact your medical indemnity insurer first. These programs are education. They support your own reflection and give you a dated record of the learning you completed. They do not satisfy, discharge or resolve any regulatory requirement, condition or undertaking, and no course can guarantee an outcome.
Most enrolled after a notification

Notification & Investigation Response

7 courses14 hours of learning1 enrolment

Choose this if: You have received a notification or investigation letter about your medical practice.

Who this program is for

Medical practitioners who have received correspondence from Ahpra or the Medical Board and need to work through the process, and their own reflection, in an ordered way rather than reactively.

Why this program

  • Opens with Professionalism and Professional Standards for Doctors, the core professionalism course written to Good Medical Practice.
  • Follows the sequence the Board actually examines: fitness to practise, then insight, then reflection, then remediation.
  • Explains the stages from first letter to outcome, so the correspondence stops being disorienting.
  • Produces a dated written record of the learning you completed and the changes you identified.
  • Closes with rebuilding standing with patients and colleagues once a matter concludes.
A$693One payment. All 7 courses unlocked in your account.
The three a Board weighs most

Insight, Reflection & Remediation

4 courses8 hours of learning1 enrolment

Choose this if: You need to evidence insight, reflection and remediation for any concern.

Who this program is for

Doctors at any stage of a Board matter who need the three things a National Board weighs most, in the order it weighs them, without the topic-specific content.

Why this program

  • Isolates the three elements a Board assesses: insight into what happened, credible reflection, and documented remediation.
  • Use it alone, or add it to a topic program if you have already covered the clinical subject matter.
  • Explains why a reflective account that describes events reads differently from one that demonstrates understanding.
  • Produces the written record that a response to the Board is built around.

Program outline

  1. 01Fitness to Practise for Healthcare Professionals2 hrs
  2. 02Module on Insight2 hrs
  3. 03Module on Reflection2 hrs
  4. 04Module on Remediation2 hrs

Total: 4 courses  ·  approx. 8 hours of learning

A$396One payment. All 4 courses unlocked in your account.
Most common concern for doctors

Clinical Competence & Patient Safety

7 courses14 hours of learning1 enrolment

Choose this if: The concern relates to the standard of clinical care, a missed diagnosis, or prescribing.

Who this program is for

Doctors facing a concern about clinical judgement, a delayed or missed diagnosis, an adverse outcome, or prescribing within scope — including telehealth prescribing and medicinal cannabis.

Why this program

  • Opens with Professionalism and Professional Standards for Doctors, the core professionalism course written to Good Medical Practice.
  • Clinical care is the single most common concern raised in notifications nationally.
  • Prescribing within scope, and documenting the reasoning behind a prescribing decision, is an area of rising regulatory attention.
  • Covers recognising, escalating and documenting risk, which is usually where a sequence actually broke down.
  • Includes the systems and safeguards that prevent recurrence, which is what a Board looks for in a response.
A$693One payment. All 7 courses unlocked in your account.
Boundary and social media concerns

Professional Boundaries & Conduct

6 courses12 hours of learning1 enrolment

Choose this if: The concern relates to professional boundaries, a personal relationship, or online conduct.

Who this program is for

Doctors facing a concern about the doctor-patient boundary, treating family or friends, dual relationships in a small or rural community, or conduct and advertising on social media.

Why this program

  • Opens with Ethics and Ethical Standards for Doctors, the core ethics course written to Good Medical Practice.
  • Works through boundary crossings versus violations, and the gradual drift that precedes most boundary concerns.
  • Covers treating family, friends and staff, and dual relationships where the community is small enough that avoidance is not simple.
  • Addresses digital contact, after-hours messaging and clinic social media, including testimonial restrictions.
  • Pairs the topic learning with insight and remediation so your reflection is specific.
A$594One payment. All 6 courses unlocked in your account.
Second most common concern

Communication, Consent & Open Disclosure

6 courses12 hours of learning1 enrolment

Choose this if: The concern relates to communication, attitude, or how an adverse event was handled.

Who this program is for

Doctors facing a concern about consultation communication, attitude or manner, informed consent discussion, or how an adverse outcome was disclosed to the patient and family.

Why this program

  • Opens with Ethics and Ethical Standards for Doctors, the core ethics course written to Good Medical Practice.
  • Communication is the second most common concern raised in notifications nationally.
  • Delay and vagueness after an adverse event generate more complaints than the event itself.
  • Covers difficult conversations, material risk and the safety-netting that stops a concern escalating.
  • Includes dignity and cultural safety, which sit inside a large share of communication complaints.
A$594One payment. All 6 courses unlocked in your account.
Documentation and honesty concerns

Probity & Professional Integrity

7 courses14 hours of learning1 enrolment

Choose this if: The concern relates to records, certificates, billing, or an undisclosed interest.

Who this program is for

Doctors facing a concern about clinical records, retrospective amendment, medical certificates and reports, Medicare or private billing, or an undisclosed commercial interest.

Why this program

  • Opens with Ethics and Ethical Standards for Doctors, the core ethics course written to Good Medical Practice.
  • Boards treat honesty as non-negotiable, and a dishonest response escalates a matter faster than the original conduct.
  • Undocumented clinical reasoning is indistinguishable from absent reasoning when a file is reviewed.
  • Covers medical certificates and reports, where accuracy is a registration issue rather than an administrative one.
  • Addresses declarations, referral interests and transparent billing.
A$693One payment. All 7 courses unlocked in your account.
Routine CPD. 20 hours.

Ethics & Professionalism Complete Program

10 courses20 hours of learning1 enrolment

Choose this if: No concern has been raised and you are logging routine annual CPD.

Who this program is for

Doctors with no current concern who want a full structured ethics and professionalism pathway for the CPD year, including both core courses written for medical practitioners.

Why this program

  • Ten courses in one enrolment, including both core courses written specifically for doctors.
  • Covers every topic area the Medical Board raises most often.
  • Sits within the educational activities component of your CPD plan.
  • Deliberately preventive: the cheapest point to address any of this is before a concern exists.
A$990One payment. All 10 courses unlocked in your account.
Not sure which program fits? Compare all seven on the programs overview, or send us the concern category named in your letter and we will tell you which one matches. Contact us.
Full catalogue

All 27 courses available to doctors

Every course is A$99, approximately two hours, self-paced, with a scenario-based assessment and a dated certificate.

27 courses
No courses match that search. Try “boundaries”, “insight”, “records” or “consent”.

Core courses for doctors

Written specifically for doctors and medical practitioners, with reference to Good Medical Practice. Start here.

Start here

Ethics and Ethical Standards for Doctors

The anchor ethics course written specifically for doctors and medical practitioners, built around the standards in Good Medical Practice and the situations you meet in real practice. You'll work through the ethical dilemmas that arise in your field and learn a method you can apply under pressure. By the end you'll be able to reason through a difficult call and show your thinking clearly to a patient, a colleague or a reviewer.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Apply the ethical standards in Good Medical Practice
  • Work through a structured method for resolving dilemmas
  • Recognise and reason through common ethical conflicts
  • Understand how ethics, law and professional standards relate
  • Document an ethical decision the way doctors boards expect

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours
Start here

Professionalism and Professional Standards for Doctors

The companion professionalism course for doctors and medical practitioners, covering the conduct, accountability and behavioural expectations set out in Good Medical Practice. You'll learn what professionalism looks like day to day, beyond the clinical task, and the behaviours that put registration at risk. By the end you'll be able to demonstrate you meet those standards, consistently.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Apply the professional standards in Good Medical Practice
  • Demonstrate reliability, respect and accountability
  • Work within your scope of practice
  • Behave professionally toward patients and colleagues
  • Recognise the conduct that puts registration at risk

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Ethical reasoning and decision-making

The reasoning every code of conduct assumes you can apply, including consent, capacity and difficult decisions.

Ethics for Healthcare Professionals

A practical grounding in the ethical standards expected of every registered health practitioner, built around the situations you actually meet in day-to-day practice rather than abstract theory. You'll work through common dilemmas step by step, learning a method you can apply under real pressure. By the end you'll be able to reason through a difficult call and show your thinking clearly to a patient, a colleague or a reviewer.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Apply the core principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice
  • Work through a structured method for resolving ethical dilemmas
  • Recognise when ethical principles conflict, and reason transparently
  • Understand how ethics, law and professional standards relate
  • Document an ethical decision so it stands up to later review

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Medical Ethics for Healthcare Professionals

The harder end of clinical ethics — consent, capacity, end-of-life and substitute decision-making — worked through realistic Australian scenarios rather than theory. You'll learn how to approach a decision when the answer is not obvious and the stakes are high. By the end you'll be able to make a difficult call, explain it, and record it in a way that withstands scrutiny.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Treat consent as a process rather than a signature
  • Assess capacity and work with substitute decision-makers
  • Navigate end-of-life and other high-stakes decisions
  • Balance competing duties when principles conflict
  • Document a complex ethical decision defensibly

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Professional Ethics

Understand the ethical principles that sit underneath every regulatory decision, explained in plain terms without the jargon. You'll see how professional ethics differs from personal ethics, and why that distinction matters in practice. By the end you'll be able to recognise an ethical issue early and reason through it before it becomes a problem.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Distinguish professional ethics from personal ethics
  • Identify the principles behind regulatory decisions
  • Recognise an ethical issue before it escalates
  • Apply ethical reasoning to everyday practice
  • Explain your reasoning in professional terms

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Confidentiality, communication and respect

Communication was the second most common concern raised in notifications nationally in 2024/25. This group addresses it directly.

Ensuring Confidentiality in Healthcare Practice

Handle patient and client information exactly as the National Law and your code of conduct require, including the practical failure points that cause most real breaches. You'll learn where confidentiality ends, when disclosure is permitted, and how to manage third-party requests. By the end you'll be clear on your obligations and confident handling sensitive information.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Apply confidentiality obligations under the National Law
  • Manage consent to disclose and third-party requests
  • Handle records and messaging securely
  • Recognise the everyday situations that cause breaches
  • Respond correctly to a request for information

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Ensuring Effective Communication as Healthcare Professionals

Prevent the miscommunication that sits behind a large share of complaints and notifications. You'll learn concrete techniques for difficult conversations, delivering unwelcome news, checking understanding and safety-netting. By the end you'll be able to run a hard conversation without escalating it and reduce your complaint risk day to day.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Structure and run a difficult conversation
  • Deliver unwelcome news clearly and compassionately
  • Check understanding rather than assuming it
  • Use safety-netting to prevent a concern escalating
  • Respond to a complaint without making it worse

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Ensuring Dignity and Non-Discrimination as Healthcare Professionals

Meet the expectations on respect, cultural safety and equitable care that apply to every patient you see. You'll learn to recognise unconscious bias, make reasonable adjustments, and deliver care that is fair and inclusive. By the end you'll be able to identify and correct the everyday situations where dignity or equity slips.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Apply cultural safety in everyday practice
  • Recognise and address unconscious bias
  • Make reasonable adjustments for equitable access
  • Respect dignity across every interaction
  • Deliver fair, inclusive care to every patient

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Ensuring Teamwork and Collaboration for Healthcare Professionals

Share care safely across a team — handover, delegation, supervision and speaking up when something is wrong. You'll learn what can be delegated and to whom, how to hand over cleanly, and how to escalate a concern. By the end you'll be able to work safely in shared-care and multidisciplinary settings.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Delegate appropriately and understand who stays accountable
  • Hand over care cleanly and completely
  • Supervise and support less experienced colleagues
  • Escalate a concern through the right pathway
  • Speak up effectively when something is wrong

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Professional boundaries

Boundary concerns rarely begin as violations. They begin as small departures from the professional frame that were not named early enough.

Ethical Boundaries with Patients and Colleagues

Read the warning signs of a boundary problem before it ever becomes a notification. You'll learn to recognise the drift pattern that precedes most boundary concerns, in yourself and in colleagues, and how to re-establish the professional frame. By the end you'll be able to spot and correct a boundary risk early.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Distinguish a boundary crossing from a violation
  • Recognise the drift pattern that precedes concerns
  • Spot warning signs in yourself and colleagues
  • Re-establish the professional frame when it slips
  • Manage boundaries in high-risk situations

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Professional Boundaries for Clinicians

Hold the therapeutic boundary under real pressure, both in person and online. You'll work through dual relationships, small-community practice, digital contact and the situations where boundaries quietly erode. By the end you'll be able to manage the relationships and channels where boundary problems most often begin.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Hold the therapeutic boundary under pressure
  • Manage dual relationships in small communities
  • Handle digital contact and after-hours messaging
  • Recognise where boundaries quietly erode
  • Re-establish a professional frame when needed

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Professionalism and Boundaries in the Use of Social Media

Use social media and advertising without putting your registration at risk. You'll learn the testimonial restrictions, patient-privacy rules and advertising obligations under the National Law that catch practitioners out. By the end you'll be able to post and advertise safely across every channel you control.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Meet advertising obligations under the National Law
  • Apply testimonial restrictions correctly
  • Protect patient privacy in online content
  • Post without identifying patients or breaching privacy
  • Review third-party and clinic channels for compliance

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Professionalism for Healthcare Professionals

Understand what professionalism actually looks like day to day, beyond the clinical task itself. You'll cover reliability, respect, scope of practice and professional behaviour toward colleagues. By the end you'll be able to demonstrate the consistent conduct your Board expects.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Demonstrate reliability and professional behaviour
  • Work within your scope of practice
  • Behave professionally toward colleagues and students
  • Understand what your code expects day to day
  • Reinforce consistent professional conduct

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Probity, honesty and records

Boards treat honesty as non-negotiable. Billing, disclosure and record-keeping sit here, and a dishonest response escalates a matter faster than the original conduct.

Financial Integrity for Healthcare Professionals

Handle billing, gifts and conflicts of interest transparently and defensibly. You'll learn how to disclose and manage a conflict, keep declarations current, and ensure your financial conduct stays above question. By the end you'll be able to structure your commercial relationships so they withstand scrutiny.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Manage billing and claiming transparently
  • Disclose and manage conflicts of interest
  • Handle gifts and commercial relationships correctly
  • Keep declarations current and complete
  • Keep financial conduct defensible under review

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Professionalism in Documentation for Healthcare Professionals

Keep clinical records that stand up to scrutiny — contemporaneous, accurate and complete. You'll learn what a reviewer actually looks for in a file, and how to amend a record correctly rather than in a way that looks like concealment. By the end you'll be able to produce documentation that protects both your patient and you.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Keep contemporaneous, accurate and complete records
  • Record clinical reasoning, not just findings
  • Amend a record correctly and transparently
  • Understand what a reviewer looks for in a file
  • Produce documentation that withstands audit

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Open Disclosure in Healthcare Practice

Run an open disclosure conversation properly after something goes wrong. You'll learn how to say sorry safely, give a factual account, and document the follow-up in line with what patients and boards expect. By the end you'll be able to handle the conversation after an adverse event without escalating it.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Follow the open disclosure process step by step
  • Apologise safely after an adverse event
  • Give a prompt, factual account of what happened
  • Explain what happens next to the patient
  • Document the disclosure and follow-up correctly

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Rebuilding Trust of Patients, Public, and the National Boards

Rebuild professional standing after a concern has been raised. You'll work through a clear approach to repairing trust with patients, colleagues and your Board, and demonstrating genuine change. By the end you'll be able to show the steps that rebuild confidence in your practice.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Rebuild trust with patients and the public
  • Repair standing with colleagues and your Board
  • Demonstrate genuine, documented change
  • Communicate your remediation credibly
  • Sustain the changes you have made

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Competence, patient safety and medicines

Clinical care was the single most common concern in notifications nationally in 2024/25. These courses address the professional dimensions of safe practice.

Clinical Competence & Patient Safety (AU)

Keep clinical care to the standard boards assess most often, in a specifically Australian context. You'll learn to recognise, escalate and document clinical risk before it becomes a patient-safety event. By the end you'll be able to maintain safe practice to the standard most commonly examined.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Recognise clinical risk early
  • Escalate risk through the right pathway
  • Document risk and your response
  • Meet Australian patient-safety expectations
  • Keep care to the standard boards assess most

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Ensuring Clinical Competence and Patient Safety

Recognise, escalate and document clinical risk before it ever reaches a patient. You'll learn to build the safe systems and safeguards that reduce avoidable harm, individually and as a team. By the end you'll be able to identify and act on risk before it becomes an incident.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Recognise risk before it reaches a patient
  • Escalate and communicate a concern effectively
  • Build safe systems of work
  • Document risk and the action taken
  • Reduce avoidable harm across a team

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Prescribing Guidance and Standards for Healthcare Professionals

Prescribe and handle medicines within your scope, and record the reasoning behind every decision. You'll cover documentation, review, monitoring and safe supply, including where scrutiny is rising. By the end you'll be able to make and defend a prescribing decision and record it properly.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Prescribe and supply within your scope
  • Document the reasoning behind a decision
  • Review and monitor ongoing medicines
  • Handle controlled drugs safely
  • Defend a prescribing decision on the record

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

How to Ensure a Mistake or Misconduct is Not Repeated

Build the systems and safeguards that stop a mistake or misconduct from recurring. You'll learn to think through root causes and close the loop properly after an incident, in the way a board wants to see. By the end you'll be able to put concrete safeguards in place that prevent recurrence.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Analyse the root cause of an incident
  • Design safeguards that prevent recurrence
  • Close the loop after an adverse event
  • Evidence the changes you have made
  • Show a board the systems now in place

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Fitness to practise, notifications and reflective practice

These courses explain the process and support your own reflection. They do not satisfy any regulatory requirement. If a notification has been made about you, contact your indemnity insurer first.

Fitness to Practise for Healthcare Professionals

Understand exactly what a National Board means by fitness to practise — across health, conduct and performance. You'll learn how each limb is assessed and what your obligations are through the process. By the end you'll be clear on the framework and how it applies to you.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Understand the three limbs: health, conduct, performance
  • Know how each limb is assessed
  • Understand your obligations in the process
  • Recognise what triggers a fitness-to-practise concern
  • Prepare for or respond to a notification

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Module on Insight

Develop and articulate genuine insight into what happened and why it mattered — the single factor a board weighs most. You'll learn how insight differs from an apology, and how to demonstrate real understanding. By the end you'll be able to show a regulator understanding rather than just regret.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Understand what insight means to a board
  • Distinguish insight from apology
  • Demonstrate genuine understanding of what happened
  • Articulate why a concern mattered
  • Show the understanding a board looks for

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Module on Reflection

Turn an incident into documented, credible reflective practice that carries weight. You'll learn reflective models that work, how to be specific, and how to avoid the generic statements that fall flat. By the end you'll be able to write a reflective account a board will accept.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Use reflective models that actually work
  • Write with the specificity a board expects
  • Avoid generic, low-value reflective statements
  • Turn an incident into a credible record
  • Build a reflective record for your portfolio

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

Module on Remediation

Evidence the concrete steps you've taken so that a concern will not recur. You'll learn to turn insight into a verifiable change in your practice, documented in a way a board can accept. By the end you'll be able to show real, specific remediation rather than an intention.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Turn insight into a verifiable practice change
  • Evidence the concrete steps you have taken
  • Make a change specific rather than aspirational
  • Document remediation a board can accept
  • Demonstrate the concern will not recur

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

How to Deal with a Notification or Investigation

A calm, staged walkthrough of the notification process, from the first letter through to outcome. You'll learn what is expected of you at each stage and how to respond in a considered way. By the end you'll understand the process and be able to approach it methodically.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Understand the stages from first letter to outcome
  • Know what is expected at each stage
  • Respond in a considered, structured way
  • Avoid the common early mistakes
  • Approach the process calmly and methodically

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours

How to Avoid a Complaint or Notification

Learn the everyday habits and records that keep concerns from ever reaching a board. You'll cover preventative communication, documentation and follow-up that reduce your risk before anything is raised. By the end you'll have a practical, preventative approach to your own practice.

2 CPD hoursSelf-pacedCertificateAssessment
What you'll cover

By the end you'll be able to:

  • Build the everyday habits that prevent concerns
  • Communicate to reduce complaint risk
  • Document and follow up preventatively
  • Recognise and defuse risk early
  • Take a proactive approach to your practice

You keep: certificate, assessment result, a guided reflection and an action-plan template.

Evidence of learning. Whether it is accepted for a specific regulatory purpose is decided by your Board. You record the hours against your own requirement.
A$99 · approx. 2 hours
Why practitioners choose these courses

Written for Australian medical practice, finished the same day

Australian content

Written with reference to Medical Board of Australia standards and Good Medical Practice, not repurposed overseas material.

Finish today

Approximately two hours, self-paced, on any device. Start and complete in one sitting if you want to.

Instant certificate

A dated certificate the moment you pass, plus a downloadable reflection document for your record.

No subscription

A$99 per course, or a program bundle. One-off payment, twelve months access, no recurring fee.

Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do in the consulting room

Each outcome is assessed either through the scenario questions or through the structured reflection activity.

01Explain the core ethical principles relevant to Australian practice and how they interact when they conflict.
02Apply the professional standards in Good Medical Practice to realistic practice situations.
03Identify professional boundary risks, including in digital and online settings, before they escalate.
04Recognise confidentiality and privacy risks in records, messaging and third-party disclosure.
05Apply informed consent and shared decision-making principles, including where capacity is in question.
06Identify conflicts of interest and probity concerns in billing, referral and commercial relationships.
07Recognise communication and conduct risks that commonly precede a complaint.
08Use structured reflection to identify your own professional development needs.
09Develop practical, specific strategies for improving professional behaviour in your own setting.
10Demonstrate applied understanding through scenario-based assessment rather than recall alone.
Curriculum

Ten modules, worked through Australian clinical scenarios

The two core courses follow this structure. The topic courses in the catalogue above go deeper on a single module.

01Ethics in Australian Practice
Autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice as working tools rather than abstractions, plus a structured decision method you can apply under time pressure.
  • Where principles conflict, and how to reason transparently
  • The relationship between ethics, law and professional standards
  • Documenting an ethical decision so it can be understood later
02Professionalism in Practice
Professional responsibility beyond the clinical task: accountability, working within competence, reflection, and the public trust registration represents.
  • What Good Medical Practice expects day to day
  • Scope of practice and knowing when to decline or refer
  • Professional behaviour toward colleagues and students
03Professional Boundaries
The professional relationship, boundary crossings versus violations, and the drift pattern that precedes most boundary notifications.
  • Dual relationships in rural and small-community practice
  • Treating or serving family, friends and staff
  • Digital contact, social media and after-hours messaging
04Confidentiality & Privacy
Handling patient and client information under the National Law, privacy legislation and your code, including the practical failure points.
  • Disclosure to family, employers, insurers and police
  • Shared records, secure messaging and handover
  • Corridor conversations, screens and incidental disclosure
05Consent & Shared Decision-Making
Capacity, material risk, communicating options and documenting refusal.
  • Consent as a process rather than a signature
  • Substitute decision-makers and advance care directives
  • Consent in telehealth and time-critical settings
06Communication & Trust
The communication failures that generate complaints, and the techniques that prevent them.
  • Difficult conversations and delivering unwelcome news
  • Responding to a complaint without escalating it
  • Working with interpreters and health literacy limits
07Probity & Integrity
Honesty as a registration issue: billing, gifts, conflicts of interest, declarations and advertising.
  • Financial and commercial conflicts, disclosed and managed
  • Certificates, reports and honest attestation
  • Advertising obligations under the National Law
08Documentation & Accountability
Records that stand up to later scrutiny: contemporaneous, accurate, complete and legible.
  • Recording reasoning, not just findings
  • Amending records correctly and never retrospectively without marking it
  • What a reviewer looks for in a file
09Ethics, Professionalism & CPD
How learning needs, reflection and educational activities connect to your CPD requirement.
  • Turning an incident into an identified learning need
  • Writing a reflection that is credible and specific
  • Evidence retention and audit readiness
10Application, Reflection & Improvement
Australian case studies, the scenario assessment, and a personal action plan you complete and keep.
  • Case-based application of every preceding module
  • Structured reflection template
  • Action plan with review date
Assessment & reflection

How completion is tested and what evidence you receive

Assessment

  • 15 questions per course: knowledge checks plus applied scenario questions.
  • Pass mark 80%. Unlimited attempts, with feedback on incorrect responses.
  • Scenario questions require you to choose and justify a course of action, not to define a term.
  • The assessment outcome is recorded on your certificate.

Reflection activity

  • A structured template: what you learned, why it matters in your practice, what you will change.
  • A personal action plan with specific steps and a nominated review date.
  • Downloadable separately so you can attach it to your CPD record.
  • Written to prompt the specificity a reviewer looks for, rather than generic statements of intent.
Completion evidence

Exactly what you receive when you finish

✓Learner name as entered at enrolment.
✓Course title and course ID / version number.
✓Completion date, issued immediately on passing.
✓Nominal duration, stated as designed learning time.
✓Assessment outcome and pass mark achieved.
✓Provider name and contact details for verification.
✓A downloadable reflection and action plan document.
✓A permanent course record in your account.
The certificate does not state that any regulator has accepted the activity, because no regulator pre-approves activities. Record it against your own requirement and retain it for the period your Board or association specifies.
Audience

Which doctors these courses are written for

All courses are open to any practitioner. The content below describes how each group typically uses them.

General registration

Doctors with general registration looking for structured ethics and professionalism learning to log as an educational activity.

Specialists

Specialists whose college or CPD home sets specialist high-level requirements. Check those separately; these courses do not address them.

International medical graduates

Doctors new to Australian practice who want the Australian professional standards framework explained directly. Not part of any registration pathway.

Registrars and returners

Trainees, registrars and doctors returning to practice consolidating professional standards alongside clinical training.

CPD explained

50 hours of CPD each year, through an AMC-accredited CPD home

Under the Medical Board's CPD registration standard, registered medical practitioners must belong to a CPD home accredited by the Australian Medical Council (unless exempt), write an annual professional development plan, and complete at least 50 hours of CPD each year.

01

Professional development plan

A written annual plan identifying your learning needs, prepared before you start your CPD year.

You write it
02

Your CPD home

An AMC-accredited organisation that delivers your CPD program, holds your record, and reports compliance to the Board.

You must belong to one
03

50 hours of activity

Minimum 12.5 hours educational activities, 25 hours reviewing performance and measuring outcomes (at least 5 of each), 12.5 hours your choice.

Our courses sit here
04

Evidence & annual compliance

You record activities, retain certificates, self-evaluate at year end, and your CPD home reports compliance.

You retain the certificate
An organisation can offer an educational activity that doctors undertake and log toward their CPD without that organisation being a CPD home. The AMC accredits CPD homes; it does not accredit individual CPD activities. Ahpra Courses is in the first category.

Can this count toward my CPD?

Usually, yes, as an educational activity. But the decision is not ours to make, and no National Board pre-approves individual courses.

Before you rely on any hours from this or any provider

  • Confirm with your own CPD home whether an external online educational activity is eligible and how to record it.
  • Record the hours you actually spent, not a number printed on a certificate.
  • Retain your certificate for the period your CPD home specifies.
  • If you are a specialist, check any specialist high-level requirements set by your college or CPD home.
  • These courses do not replace your CPD program, your CPD home, or your professional development plan.
Who does what

Ahpra, your Board, and us

These are routinely confused, including by providers marketing courses. The distinctions determine what any claim about accreditation can honestly mean.

EntityWhat it actually doesWhat it does not do
AhpraSupports the National Boards in administering the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme, and manages registration and notification processes.Does not set medical CPD requirements itself, and does not accredit or approve CPD courses.
Medical Board of AustraliaRegulates the medical profession, sets registration standards including CPD, and publishes Good Medical Practice.Does not approve, endorse or accredit individual commercial courses.
Australian Medical CouncilIs the accreditation authority for CPD homes and medical education programs.Does not accredit individual CPD activities or courses.
Your CPD homeDelivers your CPD program, holds your record, sets its own recording rules, and reports your compliance to the Board.Is not automatically the provider of every activity you log.
Ahpra CoursesOffers educational activities written with reference to published Australian standards, and issues completion evidence.Is not a CPD home, is not AMC accredited, and is not affiliated with Ahpra or any National Board.

A note on how this site is named

Our domain refers to the regulatory scheme our content is about. It does not indicate any affiliation with, endorsement by, or accreditation from Ahpra or the National Boards. If any page on this site suggests otherwise, tell us and we will correct it.

The Australian regulatory picture  ·  2024/25
13,327
notifications received by Ahpra about health practitioners nationally, up around 19% on the previous year.
16,209
practitioners nationally had a notification made about them during the year.
Clinical care
was the single most common concern raised, followed by communication.
Conduct
rather than clinical skill alone is what most notifications actually describe.

For doctors, conduct and communication carry more regulatory exposure than clinical skill alone. Medical practitioners attract more notifications than any other profession, and the concerns most often raised are the standard of clinical care and the way it was communicated and recorded.

Source: Ahpra and the National Boards annual report 2024/25. Figures are national and cover all regulated professions.
Case-based learning

Six medical scenarios worked through in full

Each case follows the same structure: scenario, decision point, the ethical and professional issues, the relevant standard, a better response, and a reflection question. Cases are composites written for teaching and do not describe identifiable people or matters.

Case 01 · Confidentiality

Disclosure to an adult child

A patient's adult daughter calls the practice, distressed, asking about her mother's recent imaging. She is recorded as the emergency contact.

Core issue
Emergency contact status is not consent to disclose.
Better response
Neither confirm nor deny that the patient attended; explain the constraint; offer to contact the patient for consent.
Case 02 · Boundaries

A relationship that developed through messaging

A doctor begins replying to a patient's texts between consultations, then about non-clinical matters, then socially. No single message felt like a violation.

Core issue
Boundary drift is cumulative, and visible to others before it is visible to you.
Better response
Name the drift, re-establish the clinical frame in writing, seek senior advice, and consider transferring care.
Case 03 · Prescribing

A repeat prescription issued without review

A long-term patient requests an early repeat of a Schedule 8 medicine by phone. The doctor issues it, intending to review at the next visit, which does not happen for months.

Core issue
Convenience prescribing without review is assessed as a prescribing decision, not an administrative one.
Better response
Check the real-time prescription monitoring system, document the clinical reasoning, and set a hard review date before issuing.
Case 04 · Documentation

Reasoning that was never recorded

A sound decision to observe rather than image was made and explained to the patient. The record shows the examination findings and nothing else.

Core issue
Undocumented reasoning is indistinguishable from absent reasoning on later review.
Better response
Record the differential considered, why observation was chosen, and the safety-netting advice given.
Case 05 · Advertising

A cosmetic result overstated online

A doctor's clinic posts before-and-after images with a patient's quote and a claim about typical results.

Core issue
Advertising of regulated health services is itself regulated, and testimonials are restricted under the National Law.
Better response
Remove testimonial content, qualify or remove outcome claims, and audit third-party pages the practice controls.
Case 06 · Open disclosure

A medication error and the conversation after it

A prescribing error causes a short admission. The doctor is unsure how much to say, and whether an apology admits liability.

Core issue
Delay and vagueness after an event generate more complaints than the event itself.
Better response
A prompt factual account, an apology for the harm, an explanation of what happens next, and a documented follow-up.
Read this carefully

If you are undertaking education after a notification or complaint

Contact your medical indemnity insurer first

Before you respond to anything, enrol in anything, or write anything down about the matter, get advice. That call comes before this page.

What a course can support

  • Your own structured reflection on what happened and why it mattered.
  • Identifying specific, concrete changes to your practice.
  • Producing a dated record of learning you completed.

What no course can do

  • Satisfy, discharge or resolve a regulatory requirement, condition or undertaking.
  • Guarantee any outcome in a notification, investigation or panel matter.
  • Replace advice from your indemnity insurer, lawyer or employer.
  • Be represented to a Board as remediation that a Board has accepted.
If a Board, tribunal or employer has specified education as part of a condition or undertaking, the required education is defined by that instrument. Have your insurer or lawyer confirm that any course meets it before you enrol.
Author & medical reviewer

Who writes and reviews this content

Dr Richard, course author and medical reviewer
Dr Richard
Course author and medical reviewer
MBBSFRACGPPG Cert Healthcare Law & EthicsLLM (Healthcare Law & Ethics), University of Melbourne

Dr Richard is a practising clinician with over 21 years of experience and postgraduate training in healthcare law and ethics. He writes the course content, selects the case material, and reviews all regulatory statements against primary sources before publication.

Regulatory content last reviewed 9 September 2026  ·  Next scheduled review September 2027  ·  Full profile and qualifications
Editorial & quality policy

How we source, review and correct regulatory content

Sourcing

  • Primary source first. Every regulatory statement is checked against the regulator's own published document, not a secondary summary.
  • Secondary sources are used only for context and identified as such.
  • Statistics are attributed to the specific report and reporting period.

Review and correction

  • Every course carries a version number and a last-reviewed date.
  • Regulatory content is reviewed at least annually, and sooner when a Board publishes an amended standard.
  • Substantive corrections are logged in the course update history.
  • To report an error, contact us. We correct confirmed errors promptly.

Claims we do not make

We do not describe any course as Ahpra approved, Ahpra accredited or Board approved, because none of those things exist for individual CPD activities. We do not claim that a course guarantees CPD compliance, protects registration, resolves a notification, or satisfies a remediation requirement.

Answers

Medical CPD, accreditation and course questions

The questions doctors actually ask before enrolling, answered plainly.

Is ethics CPD required for Australian doctors?
No National Board requires a standalone ethics course. What is required is CPD relevant to your context or scope of practice, based on identified learning needs. Ethics and professionalism learning can sit within that, and it addresses the areas that generate the most regulatory concern.
Can an ethics course count toward my CPD?
Generally yes, as an educational activity, provided it is relevant to your scope of practice and you record it correctly. The Medical Board of Australia does not pre-approve activities, so the classification and record are yours to make.
Do I need an AMC-accredited CPD home?
Yes. Under the Medical Board's CPD registration standard, registered medical practitioners must participate in a CPD program offered by a CPD home accredited by the Australian Medical Council, unless an exemption applies. Ahpra Courses is not a CPD home and does not replace one.
How many CPD hours do doctors need each year?
At least 50 hours: a minimum of 12.5 hours of educational activities, 25 hours across reviewing performance and measuring outcomes with at least five hours of each, and 12.5 hours of your choosing. You also need a written annual professional development plan.
Is this course suitable for specialists?
The content is written for medical practitioners generally rather than a single specialty. Specialists should note that their college or CPD home may set specialist high-level requirements that these courses do not address.
Is this course Ahpra accredited?
No. Ahpra does not accredit CPD courses, and neither does any National Board accredit individual commercial activities. Treat any provider claiming an Ahpra-accredited or Ahpra-approved course with caution.
Is this course approved by the Medical Board of Australia?
No. The Medical Board of Australia sets registration standards and publishes codes and guidelines. It does not approve or endorse individual commercial courses. Our content is written with reference to its published standards, which is a different thing from approval.
How long does each course take?
Each course is designed as approximately two hours of self-paced learning, including the assessment and reflection activity. Record the time you actually spend, according to your own Board's rules.
Can this course support learning related to a complaint or notification?
It can support your own structured reflection and learning, and the certificate documents what you completed and when. It does not satisfy, discharge or resolve any regulatory requirement, condition or undertaking. If a notification has been made about you, contact your medical indemnity insurer before taking any step, including enrolling in education.
What evidence do I receive after completion?
A dated certificate showing your name, course title, course version, completion date, nominal duration and assessment outcome, plus a permanent course record in your account and a downloadable reflection document.
Who wrote and reviewed the course?
The courses are written and reviewed by Dr Richard, a practising clinician with postgraduate training in healthcare law and ethics. His qualifications, profile and the review date are published on this page.
How often is the course updated?
Every course carries a version number and a last-reviewed date. Regulatory content is reviewed at least annually, and sooner when the Medical Board of Australia publishes a new or amended standard, code or guideline affecting the material.
Other professions

Courses for other Australian health practitioners

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Start with the program that fits your requirement

Ten courses for the full pathway, or five for the essentials. A$99 per course individually. Check recording requirements against your own standard before you rely on the hours.

Ahpra Courses is an independent education provider. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra), the Medical Board of Australia, any other National Board, or any accreditation authority. Our courses are educational activities. They are not accredited CPD and they do not guarantee that any hours or credits will be accepted against your registration requirement. Nothing on this site is legal advice or clinical advice, and nothing here resolves, satisfies or affects any notification, investigation, condition or undertaking. Always read the current standards published by your National Board or professional association, and contact your indemnity insurer about any regulatory matter concerning you.

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