Launching a new continuing professional development programme from the Raven Department of Education

In recent years the quality agenda has taken centre stage in the medical arena. Coupled with this, the present era of rapid scientific and technological advance means that all professionals are engaged in a continuing process of life-long learning. With the pace of change increasing all the time, new thinking challenges conventional wisdom and traditional methods are constantly being superseded. Continuing professional development is the only way for surgeons to stay at the leading edge in such as challenging environment at every stage in their career, to progress--to be participants in these changes rather than merely observers.