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Accreditation of a training activity

The FMSQ is an organization providing continuing professional development (CPD) activities accredited by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. It is also an accredited organization of the Collège des médecins du Québec (CMQ) and the Committee on Accreditation of Continuing Medical Education (CACME) of the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC).

Criteria for applying for accreditation

Only applications for accreditation from physician organizations recognized by the Royal College of Physicians are eligible. All applications for accreditation must be signed by a medical specialist.

Medical specialists who submit an initial application for accreditation to the FMSQ are encouraged to take the online training course on the Code of Ethics of the Conseil québécois de développement professionnel continu des médecins (CQDPCM) beforehand. This course is available on MÉDUSE.

Accreditation procedure

The FMSQ grants continuing education hours for activities organized by a recognized physician organization.

The CPD programs of these organizations must meet administrative, ethical and pedagogical criteria, in addition to being the subject of a valid application for accreditation.

Accreditation fees

All requests for accreditation of a CPD activity, submitted by physician organizations not affiliated with the FMSQ, are billed 500$ to the requesting organization. A fee of 150$ is charged for accreditation requests that are refused. All these amounts are taxable (see the billing procedure - in French only).

The accreditation service of the Continuing professional development directorate offers you :

  • Pedagogical support
  • Analysis of the file
  • Online assessment and report production (if required)
  • Notice of Compliance
  • Certificate of participation for all participants
Accreditation Application Form

To make a request, simply fill out the form. The application must be made at least 8 weeks prior to the CPD activity. Activities that began prior to the application for accreditation will not be considered.

Application Form

Accreditation Application Tools

The FMSQ is constantly developing the necessary tools to help its affiliated medical associations, as well as CPD units in clinical settings, achieve the learning objectives of their activities.

These tools are also available to all medical specialists who are members of the FMSQ:

FAQ

When should I apply for accreditation?

All applications for accreditation must be made at least 2 months (8 weeks) prior to a CPD activity. Activities that began prior to the application for accreditation will not be considered.
How long does it take to process an application for accreditation?

In general, depending on the complexity of the file, it will take 10 to 15 working days for the file to be analyzed. Requests for corrections can be made if necessary.
What documents must accompany my application?

The following documents must be included :

  • Application for accreditation duly completed and signed by the medical specialist responsible for the activity.
  • Description and plan of the activity
  • List and copies of promotional material
  • Schedule and detailed program
  • Registration form
  • Evaluation Form
  • Potential Conflict of Interest Disclosure Form
  • Release of Rights (Undertaking) Form
  • Budget, contract, letter of agreement related to the funding of the activity

In addition, when submitting an initial application to the FMSQ, the physician organization must describe the structure put in place to manage the continuing education activity:

  1. Needs assessment :

Provide or demonstrate the needs assessment on which the scientific committee based its decision to develop the training. The identification of needs is the basis of any continuing education process.

  1. Requests for speakers :

Provide contracts or letters of agreement between your organization and the speakers.

  1. Grant management and payment of fees and logistics costs :

If your event is funded by granting agencies, you must provide the contracts or letters of agreement.

  1. Managing the logistics of your activities :

Include a detailed budget, registration process, etc.
Do the learning objectives need to be specified in the event program?

Specific learning objectives should be defined based on the needs established for the event as a whole and for each session. These should be included in the event program.
What should be included in the program?

The event program should include a detailed schedule, including time for questions or discussion with participants, and learning objectives.

The names of the members of the scientific committee, the target audience, and acknowledgements to the granting agencies should also be included in the materials sent to participants prior to the event.
Who will analyze the results of the training activity evaluation?

Participants should be able to evaluate the activity in which they participated, using an evaluation form that can be created by your organization based on Royal College criteria.

If you use your own form, you will need to submit the results of the evaluations to the Continuing Professional Development Directorate (CPDD) within a few weeks following your training activity.

However, the CPDD can provide you with a link to an online evaluation that will be tailored to the program of your event. The results will be sent in the form of a report to the physician responsible for the training activity.
Do we need to indicate on our program that the activity is pending accreditation?

Under no circumstances, before final approval of the hours granted, should you add a mention in your program that this activity is in the process of being accredited.
How long does my activity remain accredited?

Accreditation is valid for the period indicated on the notice of compliance. If your organization plans to hold similar events during the year, it must inform the CPDD or re-apply.
Are all funders required to be identified in the application for accreditation?

The budget for a training event must provide full details of all sources of funds for the event.
Must the names of the funders be disclosed to participants?

According to the CQDPCM Code of Ethics and in the interest of transparency, the financial contribution of all profit and non-profit organizations must be indicated on the program and on any other tools used in the activity (except for cockades), as follows:

"This program is supported by an educational grant from (names of granting agencies)".

The names of all corporate sponsors must be listed in the same place, at the same time, in the same size and using the same font, with no logo. Only the names of the companies must be listed.

Acknowledgements should not be associated with any particular part of the activity.
How are training hours calculated?

Training hours are awarded for group learning activities (in Section 1 on Recognized Professional Development Activities) or self-assessment or training programs (in Section 3 on Recognized Exercise Assessment Activities that are accredited).

Types of training may, for example, include :

  • Conferences
  • Seminars
  • Question periods
  • Workshops

Hours not included in the calculation of the training duration are those devoted to exhibitions (always located outside of the training rooms where CPD activities take place), meal times, health breaks, receptions, social activities, etc.

For more information