How to find the best Dentistry CPD course for you

Choosing the best CPD course that is just right for you is the first step to achieving success in your learning. Remember the days in school? You always find it most rewarding when what you learn is relevant yet challenging enough to satisfy your curiosity. Now that you can choose your personal path of learning, how do you find the CPD courses that will give you the most meaningful experience? Here are a few questions Nexlec suggests to consider.

• What’s the standard?

CPD standards usually vary from region to region and industry to industry. It is important to consult relevant documents before signing up to any CPD courses. This information is usually located on the websites of government led boards or councils, such as the Continuing Professional Education standards of the Singapore Dental Council and the Continuing professional development (CPD) requirements of the Psychology Board of Australia.

The items that you should pay attention to on these documents are the required hours/points, the types of learning activities/topics included, the administrative cycle, and the documents you need to provide. Taking the requirements of the Dental Board of Australia as an example, it is stipulated that dental practitioners must complete “a minimum of 60 hours of CPD activities over a three-year CPD cycle”, including a minimum of 80% clinically or scientifically-based activities and a maximum of 20% non-scientific activities, like practice management and legal responsibilities. An electronic or hard copy logbook should be kept as the evidence of your CPD. The templates of logbooks are often available on the websites of professional associations.

Nexlec partners up with HotDoc, Australia’s largest patient engagement platform, to bring you a wide range of free online courses on how to run a successful medical practice. Check out these selected courses:

Essential Elements To Run an Efficient Medical Practice

The 3 Phases of Practice Growth Workshop 

• On-site or online?

The pandemic brought on many changes to our life, one of which is that more and more events are becoming available online. This removes certain geographical barriers and give our learners access to courses all over the Asia-Pacific region. Online courses allow you to learn on the go and at your own pace. To be able to learn anytime, anywhere is surely a big bonus for our busy professionals!

Having said that, on-site courses also have their unique advantages. They provide a more personalised, hands-on experience, along with a great opportunity to build relationships with like-minded people.

• Care to travel?

Nexlec connects educators from all over the Asia-Pacific region so that our users can find different programs from industry leaders regardless of their locations. This is a wonderful opportunity to pair learning up with exploring. Travelling not only makes it more fun to learn, but is also a great way to meet new friends and working buddies. So why not explore a new field of knowledge while exploring a city that you’ve always wanted to visit? 

But when life gets busy, or travelling is not your priority, you can always explore from the comfort of your home. In that case, Nexlec has many remote learning options for you. 

• Seminars or courses?

Seminars, webinars, and conferences are a few stand-alone options. If you would love to diversify your learning by exploring a range of different topics and listening to a multitude of experienced instructors, you might wish to attend these ones. An upcoming suggestion is:

Sometimes, though, you’d like to get some deep insight in a particular subject. If that is what you’d like to achieve in your CPD, an online course that is composed of a sequence of lectures and modules is the best choice for you. Here is a good example on Nexlec:

Mimicking Natural Teeth With Composite Resin From A to Z 

When looking for a CPD course, always make sure to ask yourself the above questions. You don’t have to stick to one path, either. A seasoned traveller? Try an online option when your schedule looks tight. Love to stay at home? Exploring a new location could open you up to some exciting opportunities. Whatever your choice may be, always remember to check Nexlec for the newest options we have!