International Day of Education: why professional development matters for doctors, patients and our health system

To mark the day, leaders from the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) share their personal reflections on why professional development remains fundamental to the medical profession, and how to protect learning when service pressures mount.

How the RCP supports physicians’ education

As RCP global vice president Dr Emma Vaux highlights, the RCP has a distinct position in medicine. ‘We sit alongside physicians throughout their entire professional lives … from medical school to retirement,’ she says. The college’s independence from employers, paired with its deep connection to clinical practice, enables it to champion high standards and create conditions where learning can thrive.

Professor Simon Bowman, RCP treasurer, echoes this sentiment, describing the essence of RCP education as ‘clinical, practical, relevant and high quality’. Because the RCP is both aimed at and led by practising clinicians, the education that it provides is closely aligned with doctors’ real needs, whether they’re understanding new developments in general medicine or keeping pace with emerging trends in specialist care.

The RCP’s conferences, regional Updates in medicine and topic-focused meetings not only deepen clinical knowledge but also bring doctors together, fostering a sense of community that is increasingly important in an online, often-fragmented professional world.

‘This ability to exchange experiences and ideas is vital,’ Professor Bowman notes, ‘not only for learning, but for morale.’

Why protected time for learning matters more than ever

All the RCP leaders we spoke to agree that professional development is essential to safe, effective and fulfilling medical practice. Dr Vaux is clear that continuous development ‘is not a “nice to have”; it is fundamental to being a safe, effective and fulfilled doctor’. With service pressures rising, the risk is that learning becomes squeezed out of the working day. Protected time demonstrates that a culture of learning is valued at an organisation. 

Dr Omar Mustafa, RCP registrar, adds that without protected time for professional development, doctors can quickly find themselves relying on outdated approaches. ‘Not having protected time keeps us using yesterday’s solutions for tomorrow’s problems,’ he warns. Medicine moves quickly; clinicians need space to reflect, update their knowledge and adapt to new evidence, technologies and models of care. 

Whether in the NHS or in international health systems, the principle is the same: safeguarding time for education is fundamental to delivering high-quality care.

How learning can thrive in busy services

For many physicians, learning doesn’t happen in quiet, long and uninterrupted spaces; it takes place alongside the pressures of daily clinical practice. Dr Vaux reflects on the importance of weaving learning into routine work, from reflective practice after a ward round to informal discussions within teams, or using quality improvement as a vehicle for professional growth. She notes that waiting for the ‘perfect’ moment rarely works; learning must become part of the fabric of clinical life.

Dr Mustafa shares similar experiences. He often integrates micro-learning into ward rounds, using real patient cases as prompts to update understanding and link evidence, pathophysiology and management. These moments can then inform broader discussions in grand rounds, team meetings or teaching sessions. Teaching itself becomes a powerful learning tool; PACES preparation, for example, not only supports candidates, but also reinforces clinical reasoning and communication skills for those leading the sessions.

Dr Hilary Williams, RCP clinical vice president, adds a key perspective: the power of learning from others. ‘For me, it’s about time to think much more widely and deeply, and most of all to learn from others,’ she reflects. Over the years, she has taken ideas from RCP events back into her own practice, leading to meaningful change for patients. Insights about the risks of admission for older, frailer people, or lessons learned from innovative heart failure services that inspired improvements in urgent cancer care, show how learning can translate across specialties and directly into better outcomes.

The value of meeting and learning in person

While digital learning is increasingly important, Dr Williams emphasises the value that only face‑to‑face interaction can bring. ‘For me, it’s all about in‑person connection,’ she says. ‘Going to an event and being able to speak directly to the speaker … stepping back from the day-to-day, refuelling the energy and listening, chatting, connecting.’

For clinicians juggling clinics, rotas and family life, attending in-person events can feel challenging, but Dr Williams’ advice is simple: take the chance when you can. ‘It’s always worth it,’ she says. And her final reassurance speaks to the heart of the RCP community: ‘You should never feel alone at an RCP event – you will meet friendly, open, well-informed, interesting and fun people.’

Throughout the year, the RCP hosts a range of CPD-accredited events and conferences such as Updates in medicine, Med+ and Medicine that bring together physicians from all career stages, specialties and backgrounds. These in-person events give you the space and time to network, learn from others, spark ideas and open up conversations.

Explore all RCP events 

Education that reflects a diverse workforce

The landscape of the medical profession is changing. Many doctors now work outside traditional training pathways as specialty, specialist and associate specialist (SAS) doctors, locally employed doctors (LEDs) or international medical graduates (IMGs). Dr Vaux notes that the 2024 RCP guidance on educational and career support for LEDs and IMGs highlighted inequalities in access to development and support in these groups. The RCP is responding by reshaping its education to be more flexible, modular and career long, ensuring that it meets the needs of all physicians, regardless of grade or role. 

Dr Mustafa captures the underlying principle: ‘All roles are training roles. The only difference is how learning occurs.’ In this context, inclusion means ensuring that every doctor can access the learning they need to fulfil their potential and improve patient care.

The skills that physicians will need next

Clinical expertise will remain the cornerstone of practice, but physicians will need an increasingly broad skill set to navigate evolving healthcare landscapes. Digital and data literacy, including the ability to use artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly and critically, will become essential. 

The RCP has recently published a new report on digital and AI, calling on the government to fix the NHS’s digital foundations, ensure that digital solutions solve real-world clinical problems, and protect patient safety with robust, joined-up regulation on AI. Read the full report: RCP view on digital and AI.

Dr Vaux notes that doctors must feel confident assessing uncertainty, balancing evidence, patient preferences and system constraints with compassion and sound judgement.

Dr Mustafa emphasises the importance of critical appraisal in a world where information is abundant, but variable in quality. The challenge is no longer finding information, but determining what is reliable. Leadership, quality improvement, climate-conscious care and interdisciplinary teamwork will also be central to future-ready medical practice.

A message to our younger selves

We asked each leader to share a message that they wish they could give to their younger self.

Dr Vaux would remind herself not to see education as something confined to exams or courses, but as a lifelong habit of curiosity and reflection. Dr Mustafa reflects that learning should be seen as a long‑term investment, where small, regular gains accumulate into deep expertise over time. Dr Hilary Williams would encourage curiosity, connection and confidence to talk to people about what matters to them, to be open, and to take opportunities even when life feels busy.

Together, their reflections reinforce that education is not just a professional requirement; it is a source of fulfilment, resilience and better care.

On this International Day of Education, we celebrate the physicians across the RCP community who remain committed to learning, not only to shape their own careers, but to improve the lives of the patients and communities they serve. The RCP’s mission is to support that commitment with education that is clinical, practical, relevant and high quality, while advocating for the time and space that doctors need to learn well.

Want to learn more? 

This International Day of Education, we’re proud to support RCP members worldwide. Wherever you are, your professional development matters. From CPD-approved face-to-face and virtual workshops to online learning and commissioned teaching, we deliver education designed to support you, no matter your career grade.

This year’s theme for the International Day of Education is: ‘The power of youth in co-creating education’. At the RCP, we value your ideas. Our series of ‘Fundamentals’ workshops empower early-career doctors with the skills to grow, lead and support the next generation of healthcare professionals.

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