POLICY
Ensuring Physician Competence
During Practice Transitions
Consultation for policy that articulates expectations for MDs who
wish to change scope of practice, re-enter practice
T
he College wants your feedback on its proposed updates to a policy that affects physicians who wish to
change their scope of practice or re-enter practice after being away from clinical practice for several years.
The new draft policy – titled Ensuring Competence: Changing Scope of Practice and/or Re-
entering Practice – maintains the current policy requirement that physicians report to the College and
participate in a College process to ensure that they have the necessary competence to assume a different scope of
practice or to return to clinical practice. The draft combines two current policies related to these issues.
Below are four things to know about the new draft:
years, when:
• P
hysicians intend to re-enter practice and have not
been engaged in practice for a period of two consecu-
tive years or more; and
• P
hysicians intend to return to a scope of practice in
which they have not practised for two consecutive
years or more.
2 No longer captures physicians in part-time practice
(physicians who have practised less than six months in
the preceding five-year period).
3 Describes what constitutes a significant change in scope
of practice and provides examples of scope changes.
4 Clarifies that physicians must report their intention to
the College prior to changing scope of practice and/or
re-entering practice.
Visit our website at www.cpso.on.ca to read the draft policy and provide your comments.
20
DIALOGUE ISSUE 3, 2017
1 Changes the reporting requirement from three to two