As a chapter of the CFPC, the OCFP is responsible for managing program applications to certify 1-credit-per-hour Mainpro+ courses offered across Ontario.
The Benefits of Certification
As a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) provider, offering Mainpro+ certified programs will:
Demonstrate your commitment to the development and delivery of quality education for family physicians.
Assist family physicians in meeting Mainpro+ requirements to maintain their CFPC membership.
Support family physicians in participating in valuable learning experiences which allow them to stay current in their profession.
How to Certify a Program
Mainpro+ applications can be submitted via an online certification program called Cert+.
The process of Mainpro+ certification from the program application to the participant earning a Mainpro+ credit is an 8-step process:
Submit a Mainpro+ application in Cert+.
A Scientific Planning committee member confirms the application.
The application is reviewed by a peer reviewer.
The application receives approval.
Sessions of an approved program are added in Cert+ (generating a unique 9-digit session ID#).
If the session is part of a for-profit program, an additional review of session documents is required (ethical review).
For-profit ethical review is approved.
Certificate of attendance is awarded to participants of an approved program.
Before the certification process is complete, please ensure the following steps are completed:
Ensure someone on your Scientific Planning Committee is an active CFPC member.
Application sign-off in Cert+ by the active CFPC member on the Scientific Planning Committee.
Add session/s to Cert+ (available once program application has been approved).
Required Mainpro+ Program Documents:
The following documents will be requested to be uploaded to the Cert+ application.
Needs assessment is the process of gathering information to identify the target audience’s learning needs. The needs assessment should identify the current state of the target group’s knowledge/competence/performance areas and identify gaps in those areas.
There are different types of learning needs. They can be:
Self-recognized, or perceived needs: I know what I want and need to know.
Unknown to the learner, or unperceived needs: I don’t know what I don’t know.
Miscalculated, or misperceived needs: I think I know something that I don’t.
Emergent needs: Now that I have some new information, I realize I want or need to learn something else instead of, or in addition to, what I am learning now.
All members of the Scientific Planning Committee (SPC), speakers, moderators, facilitators and authors will be required to complete a COI (Conflict of Interest) form that includes information from the previous two years. The first two pages of the CFPC COI form provide information on how to complete the form.
All speakers and moderators of a Mainpro+ certified program are asked to disclose conflicts verbally and in writing to program participants using the CFPC 3-Step Disclosure Slide template at the beginning of a presentation. If slides are not used during the program, disclosures can be included in written program materials (e.g., conference program, course website, workbook, reading material) as applicable.
Mainpro+ certified program invitations/brochure/promotional material (paper or digital) must include the following:
Title of the program (must be the exact title as approved at the time of certification).
Learning objectives of the session.
Name(s) of speaker(s) (if applicable).
Name(s) of moderator(s) (if applicable).
Start and end times of the certified presentation.
Times at which meals and breaks occur, including how this will be managed in a virtual format (if applicable).
Location.
Mainpro+ certification statement and/or marketing statement – “This one-credit-per-hour Group Learning program has been certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Ontario Chapter for up to [insert # of credits] Mainpro+ credits.”
Financial support acknowledgement statement (if applicable).
In the Mainpro+ application, there is a question on the duration of the program, which then automatically calculates how many Mainpro+ credits the program qualifies for. The agenda/schedule is a document to be uploaded in the Mainpro+ application outlining the duration of the program in order to match the requested number of credits.
Evaluation allows for the ongoing improvement of CPD programs and provides valuable feedback to program planners and faculty. Mainpro+ certified programs must include the following mandatory question in their program evaluations: “Did you perceive any degree of bias in any part of this program?” A checkbox beside the word “No” and a check box beside the word “Yes” should be provided for the participant completing the survey to select an answer. Additionally, the text, “If yes, please describe” with space allowing the participant to provide more information, should be added to obtain more details.
The Certificate of Attendance is awarded to participants of a program from the CPD provider after completing a certified program. This document must include the following:
Participant’s full name.
Program name (exactly as it appears in CERT+).
CERT+ session identification number.
Session date and location.
Number of credits for which the session is certified.
Type of credits.
Official Statement of Certification – “This one-credit-per-hour Group Learning program has been certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Ontario Chapter for up to [insert # of credits] Mainpro+ credits.”
Depending on the application, additional information can be required by the application reviewer. At that time, you may be asked to provide one or all the following:
Completed program content.
Previous Evaluation Results.
Sponsor Branding.
Budget.
Exhibitor/Sponsor Prospectus.
Sponsorship Agreement/Communication.
Fees
Fees for an Ontario Mainpro+ application will depend on whether the program has received for-profit support or not.
For-profit support is defined as monetary or in-kind contributions provided by an organization whose primary goal is to make money for the company’s owners or shareholders. If the CPD provider organization is a for-profit company, the program is deemed supported by a for-profit company and would need to submit a for-profit application.
For-profit programs are also required to submit an Ethical Review at an additional fee for every program session.
If the program has not received for-profit support and the CPD provider organization is a non-profit company, it is deemed a non-profit application. There are no subsequent fees for any additional sessions added to Cert+.
Program Applications:
For-Profit: $650 + tax; Non-Profit: $450 + tax
Ethical Review:
For-Profit: $150 + tax*; Non-Profit: $0
*The first session submitted for a Mainpro+ certified program is not subject to a fee.
Ethical Reviews / Sessions
To ensure that Mainpro+ certified CPD programs continue to focus on the educational needs of family physicians, the CFPC has instituted a formal ethical review process for all live (in-person or virtual) Mainpro+ certified programs that have received financial or in-kind support from a for-profit organization.
For-profit programs must submit an Ethical Review each time a CPD program is offered. This secondary review, at an additional cost, ensures the focus of Mainpro+ CPD programming reflects the educational needs of family physicians.
Invitation or promotional materials (correspondence with potential attendees/published announcements).
3-step Disclosure Slides for speakers and moderators.
Certificate of Attendance.
Programs that have not received any for-profit financial support are not subject to any additional fees for adding sessions into the Cert+ platform.
Please allow up to 10 business days for completion. Once an ethical review is completed, you will receive notification from the CFPC through an automated email.
Quick Tips
Here are some helpful documents to use prior to beginning your Mainpro+ program application:
Mainpro+ Certification Standards outline the National Standards for Mainpro+ program approval for continuing professional development program providers.
A Guide to Using Cert+ is a quick tips guide explaining the Cert+ portal and how to submit a program application and ethical reviews/sessions.
National Standard for Support of Accredited CPD Activities explains the requirements for when financial and in-kind support for a Mainpro+ certified event is acceptable in order to contribute to the development, delivery and/or evaluation of accredited CPD activities.
Faculty Development: Mainpro+ Certification Standards for Faculty Development Activities explains that in Mainpro+ certification, faculty development is defined as a broad range of activities used to renew or assist faculty, supervisors, preceptors, field instructors, and clinical educators in their roles. These activities are designed to improve an individual’s knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviour related to teaching, educational administration and leadership, and scholarship.
For speakers, facilitators, and moderators of a Mainpro+ certified event, the following documents must be reviewed prior to the start of the event:
All Ontario Mainpro+ certified programs require one active CPFC member on the Scientific Planning Committee. Program review will start once the CFPC members have confirmed their involvement in the program’s development.
The planning committee is representative of the target audience (family physicians) and has substantial involvement in determining the program learning needs, developing program learning objectives, content development, selection of speakers, and evaluation of a program.
The scientific planning committee member will log into their member account from cfpc.ca to confirm their involvement. They must click on “CERT+ account” from the Quick Links menu on the home tab. This link will take them directly to CERT+. If prompted, they should select the “Planning Committee Member” role.
As part of the application process, substantial input or involvement is confirmed when CFPC members verify that they have contributed to the consideration of learning needs, the determination of learning objectives and program content, and the choice of speakers or presenters.
The program provider’s participation demonstrates a commitment to developing and delivering high-quality, up-to-date programming.
A rigorous peer-reviewed certification process ensures accuracy of evidence and relevance to family physicians.
More than 16,500 Ontario family physicians require on average 50* Mainpro+ credits per year for mandatory CPD reporting to maintain good standing with CFPC and CPSO. *(250 credits/5 years = 50; minimum credits are technically 25 per year).
Mainpro+ CPD is an essential component of maintaining proficiency for family physicians.
CERT+ is the CFPC’s online application system for Mainpro+ certification. CERT+ enables CPD providers to complete application forms online, upload all supporting documents and make payments.
CERT+ allows providers to:
Submit all application materials electronically (slide presentations, evaluations, etc.).
Pay administrative fees online using Visa, MasterCard, or American Express.
Receive application status updates by email.
Respond quickly to reviewer feedback and questions online.
Ethical reviews are only required for For-profit Certified Programs.
Complete and submit ethical reviews using the Cert+ platform (fees will apply). Please allow up to 10 business days for completion. Once an ethical review is completed, you will receive notification from CFPC.
Ethical review certifies the compliance of:
Promotional materials, invitations to and correspondence with potential attendees, and all other published announcements.
Publicity in print or electronic media (including websites, blogs, email invitations, etc.).
Session location or venue, meals, and entertainment or social events.
Costs to be assumed by attendees (e.g., registration and social events).
Completed conflict-of-interest forms and slides for speakers at the session being reviewed.
Certified credits: Activities formally reviewed and approved by the CFPC as meeting standards for certified CPD. These will provide certified credits.
Non-certified credits: Activities that are not formally reviewed but comply with the College’s definition of CPD, that are non-promotional and that provide valuable professional learning opportunities can be used for non-certified credits.
Yes, industry-sponsored events are eligible for Mainpro+ credits if they have met the requirements for certification and bear the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) certification statement.
An industry-sponsored event that does not bear a CFPC certification statement is not eligible for certified or non-certified credits in Mainpro+.
Single-delivery, one-credit-per-hour conferences, symposia, congresses, and scientific assemblies are certified using a modified application process in CERT+ (the CFPC’s online certification application platform).
Programs are still required to adhere to the Quality Criteria requirements but the application process requires less content review. In place of content review, there is a review of the scientific planning committee’s program development process and communication with speakers.
Mainpro+ reviewers may still request content for review should any topic or aspect of the process outlined on the application require clarification or raise concerns.
Needs assessment is the process of gathering information to identify the target audience’s learning needs. The needs assessment should identify the current state of the target group’s knowledge/competence/performance areas and identify gaps in those areas.
There are different types of learning needs. They can be:
Self-recognized, or perceived needs: I know what I want and need to know.
Unknown to the learner, or unperceived needs: I don’t know what I don’t know.
Miscalculated, or misperceived needs: I think I know something that I don’t.
Emergent needs: Now that I have some new information, I realize I want or need to learn something else instead of, or in addition to, what I am learning now.
The program application must be submitted six weeks before the program start date. Ethical reviews must be submitted 10 business days before the session.
Please contact the OCFP directly at ocfpmainpro@ocfp.on.ca for requested changes to an already approved program.
You are ready to offer your program. To allow your participants the ability to claim their earned credits:
All for-profit organizations will need to submit an ethical review for all sessions provided.
Non-for-profit programs will need to submit a session in the Cert+ system.
Please log into your Cert+ account to access the program application. The application will be available on the home page under “Action Required by You.”
Once the program application is open, please click on the “Edit” button in the top right corner of the menu. From there you can make the appropriate changes to the application and resubmit. Requested changes from the reviewer can be found in the “Comment” box at the bottom of the page of the application. There is no additional fee for resubmitting. Your application will not be available for re-review until the application has been properly resubmitted.
Adding your session to Cert+ allows program participants to claim Mainpro+ credits.
The session ID# is a unique 9-digit ID# automatically generated when a session is added to a certified program in Cert+. The session ID# can be found under the “Sessions” tab in the program providers Cert+ account.
CPD providers must provide participants with a letter or certificate of participation upon completion of a program. This document needs to include:
Participant’s full name.
Program name (as it appears in CERT+).
CERT+ session identification number.
Session date and location.
Number of credits for which the session is certified.
Statement of Mainpro+ Certification.
If you are planning to offer a meal or snack to program participants, there are financial constraints on the amount that can be spent per participant:
Breakfast: $30
Lunch: $60
Dinner: $85
*Not including taxes and gratuities.
A program is used to describe the educational content of the program. Sessions are the individual components of the program that participants join.
For additional information on Mainpro+, please contact the OCFP Mainpro+ Department for assistance.
For questions related to your Mainpro+ account, details on your credit cycle, or how to upload your Mainpro+ credits, please contact the CFPC Mainpro+ Credit Department.
The CFPC Mainpro+ Credit Department is available to assist you in English and French via phone or email, Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (ET).
