Graphical version

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Records of the RCOG Continuing Medical Education / Continuing Professional Development programmes

IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 1538 RCOG/E11

Held at: Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Title: Records of the RCOG Continuing Medical Education / Continuing Professional Development programmes

Date(s): 1991-2002

Level of description: Collection

Extent: 3 boxes

Name of creator(s): Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

In July 1988 the College established a working party 'to review current post-graduate activities of the College and to consider the need, feasibility and the format of assessment of the individual's maintenance of skills'. In 1991 this reported that the majority of consultants were not taking advantage of the existing educational opportunities offered by the College. It recommended that the College develop a programme of mandatory Continuing Medical Education (CME) for all its Fellows and Members in active specialist practice. This began in January 1994. The RCOG was the first of the UK Colleges to establish such a programme and also the first to offer it (from January 2000) to overseas members. The programme catered for consultants and other members of career grade staff not in training posts. The scheme was developed and overseen by the CME Committee, which held its first meeting in July 1992, and reported to the Education Board. It was administered by the Postgraduate Education Department. The first 5-year CME cycle was completed in December 1998. In 1998 CME became part of the wider sphere of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and in 1999 the CME Committee changed its name to the CPD Committee. In January 2002 the CME programme also changed its name to the CPD programme. At this date the programme was expanded to take into account not just the continuing medical education needs of obstetricians and gynaecologists, but also their broader professional development (i.e. non-clinical or non-specialist clinical activities). The Postgraduate Education Department was disbanded in October 2003 at which point the CPD Office was transferred to the Clinical Governance and Standards Department.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Records of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' Continuing Medical Education / Continuing Professional Development programmes, 1991-2002, including papers of the Chairman of the CME Committee and Head of the Postgraduate Education Department, including correspondence relating to responses to the report of the Working Party on Continuing Medical Education; subject files; and CME/CPD newsletters, guides and documentation.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

As set out above in Scope and Content.

Conditions governing access:

Open, although restrictions apply for items containing personal information.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

RCOG/B3/2 have been indexed and the names of successful candidates will be found in the Index to the Guide to the College Archives.

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

3 filing-cabinet drawers of material were appraised by the College Archivist in consultation with the CPD Administrator in February 2006. A few files were retained by the Department for current use. Routine and ephemeral material was assigned for destruction. Only those files documenting the origins and development of the College's policy and programme in this area were selected for permanent preservation. A full set of CME/CPD documentation was transferred at the same time.

Accruals:

Records formerly placed in these subject categories are now catalogued according to their correct administrative context.

Archival history:

This is an artificial grouping of records, which at some stage were removed from their administrative context and placed into subject categories relating to a particular external body. Most of the records appear to have originated from the President's Office.

Immediate source of acquisition:

These records were passed from the Postgraduate Education Department to the Clinical Governance and Standards Department, when the former was disbanded and the latter took over the CPD function. These records were transferred from the Clinical Governance and Standards Department in February 2006.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

A microfilm copy of the minute book at C7/1M is at MR/17.

Related material:

Publication note:

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Archivist's note: Imported from the RCOG catalogue and edited by Sarah Drewery.