The CPD reflective exercise explained

The General Optical Council (GOC) has published a guidance template for its CPD Reflective exercise, a mandatory element of the current CPD cycle for all qualified registrants.

Introduced with the establishment of the new CPD cycle in January 2022, the Reflective exercise is part of the regulator’s requirements that can only be completed in the latter stages of the CPD cycle. With five months remaining in the current CPD cycle, registrants are now able to complete the exercise and submit it on their MyGOC account.

Releasing a template that registrants are able to use to complete their Reflective exercise, the GOC explained: “The Reflective exercise is where registrants reflect on their personal development during the current cycle through a discussion with a peer which they must document. It should take place towards the end of the current cycle once all or most CPD requirements have been met.” 

The GOC’s guidance template informs registrants they are required to discuss and document on their MyGOC, MyCPD as part of the Reflective exercise, which includes a reflection of the CPD they have completed, how their learning outcomes have changed throughout the cycle, and any planned outcomes for the remainder of the cycle and into the next.

The template also provides insight on what other information registrants will need to document as part of the exercise, such as the date the discussion took place, where it took place, and the details of the peer they completed the exercise with.

OT explains the Reflective exercise

In this OT video (above), our clinical multimedia editor, optometrist Ceri Smith-Jaynes, explores the requirements of the Reflective exercise and summaries what registrants need to do.

Smith-Jaynes explained: “The idea [of the Reflective exercise] is you are going to get together with a peer and look at the CPD that you have completed over the three-year CPD cycle, have a look at your PDP, and reflect on what you have done, any gaps in your knowledge, anything you may need to do in the next cycle, and how it’s influenced your practice.”

As a mandatory element of the current CPD cycle, “by the end of the year you must have submitted a Reflective exercise to your MyGOC account if you’d like to stay on the register,” she explained.

She confirmed that the Reflective exercise can be completed in person, or remotely via telephone or video.

As the end of the CPD cycle draws closer, Smith-Jaynes highlighted that it is now key for registrants to identify the peer they will be completing their Reflective exercise with.

It is important to ensure that the peer is suitable, Smith-Jaynes said, explaining that it can be an employer, a line manager, another optometrist or dispensing optician, or another healthcare professional. However, “what doesn’t count is a close relative or friend, or an employee.”

Asked about how long the reflective exercise should take to complete, Smith-Jaynes said: “The amount of time it takes is not prescriptive. It takes as long as it takes. The point is to take a deep dive into the work that you have done.”

She encouraged registrants to look through their PDP and consider how it relates it to what they do in practice.

Smith-Jaynes advised: “If you have not achieved a particular learning outcome, reflect on why was that – was there no opportunity, was it that you found out that you were not interested and went down another route instead? As long as you are reflecting on that and you have a good reason for why you didn’t achieve a learning outcome, that’s perfectly okay.”

“Three years is a long time in practice, a lot of things can change,” she added.

After registrants have completed the Reflective exercise, Smith-Jaynes emphasised the importance of documenting, saving and submitting to their MyGOC, MyCPD account.

Reflecting on how the new mandatory requirement of the CPD cycle is valuable, Smith-Jaynes told OT: “Sometimes you can flounder your way through CPD just finding things that come along. Personally, it has made me think about what I want to target.”

“It has helped me direct what I’m doing. It doesn’t take an awfully long time, but reflective learning is a way of helping you get that knowledge to stick as well,” she added.