Education represents one of the pillars we are building upon to reach our mission of serving members and advancing the specialty, together with leadership, advocacy, and research.
 
As an accredited Continuing Professional Development (CPD) provider of the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada, we are dedicated to the advancement of the medical practice of anesthesia and committed to fostering high-quality learning opportunities for our members and other anesthesia and perioperative care providers, through an extensive CPD program.

CAS CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM 

The CAS CPD Program is overseen by a Continuing Education and Professional Development Committee (CEPD). Their role is to consider and advise the CAS Board on specialty and non-specialty education in all aspects of anesthesia, and to provide expertise on Maintenance of Certification and continuing education to CAS members, Annual Meeting delegates, consumers of CAS-supported educational material, and applicants for accreditation. The Committee also functions as an educational resource and support for all relevant Committees, Divisions, Sections, and the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia. 

The program is developed and implemented together with the CAS Office, under the direction of the Director, Programs and Member Engagement and the Manager, Education and Awards Program.
 
The CAS vision for CPD is to endorse, provide, and promote a learning environment for anesthesia and perioperative care providers that supports best practice, safe anesthesia care, and reflective, self-directed, and group learning.
 
The CPD Program’s Mission is to improve patient safety, quality of care, and professional practice in anesthesiology by supporting high-quality, evidence-informed, and accredited educational opportunities for CAS members and the broader anesthesia and perioperative care community, including trainees and interprofessional healthcare providers. Responsive to identified learner, patient, community, and health-system needs, the program supports lifelong learning, reflective practice, quality improvement, innovation, and meaningful practice change.
 
The CPD Program is guided by the values of accessibility, inclusivity, scientific integrity, collaboration, and continuous improvement. We believe that access to relevant skills and knowledge, aligned with both perceived and unperceived practitioner needs, is essential to achieving this vision.

The Program’s main components are: 

1. THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Access all of our Education Programming

CAS organizes an Annual Meeting designed to provide the most current knowledge and skills in the field of anesthesiology and other educational activities such as webinars and rounds. In addition, the Society provides an internationally recognized discipline specific journal – The CAS scientific journal – the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia - publishes an online Self-Assessment Program in the form of CPD modules, and is actively involved in faculty development. Furthermore, the Society is open to co-development opportunities. 
 

2. THE APPROVAL OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES UNDER THE ROYAL COLLEGE MAINTENANCE OF CERTIFICATION (MOC) PROGRAM

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CAS has been granted Accreditor Provider status from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Accreditation Committee. As such, we can review and accredit Section 1 and 3 CPD activities submitted by either physician or non-physician organizations.

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The CPD Program goals, to be measured on an ongoing basis, are to:

• Identify and assess the perceived and unperceived learning needs of CAS members and the broader anesthesia and perioperative care community using multiple sources, including member surveys, CPD evaluations, committee and section input, emerging evidence, clinical practice guidelines, quality improvement and patient safety data, health-system priorities, and patient and community needs, where appropriate.
• Plan, support, develop, review, and/or accredit educational activities that respond to identified needs and are delivered through a range of learning formats, including conferences, webinars, rounds, self-assessment programs, simulation, faculty development, and self-directed learning opportunities.
• Promote lifelong learning, reflective practice, evidence-informed care, quality improvement, patient safety, and meaningful practice change in anesthesiology and perioperative medicine.
• Plan and develop education that addresses the CanMEDS Physician Competency Framework and encourages interdisciplinary collaboration across the anesthesia and perioperative care environment.
• Review and approve CPD activities as a Royal College accredited CPD provider, assessing compliance with applicable accreditation standards, including the National Standard for Support of Accredited CPD Activities, and the Canadian Medical Association Guidelines for Physicians in Interactions with Industry.
• Provide information, guidance, and support to CPD planners, CAS Committees, Sections, Divisions, partner organizations, and applicants for accreditation on CPD standards, best practices, and educational design.
• Help learners meet their continuing professional development and Royal College Maintenance of Certification requirements.
• Disseminate new knowledge, emerging evidence, research, clinical guidance, and innovations relevant to anesthesiology and perioperative medicine, including appropriate integration of artificial intelligence in education and practice.
• Develop and sustain partnerships with other CPD providers, universities, hospitals, specialty societies, healthcare organizations, and interdisciplinary partners to support high-quality CPD in anesthesiology and related specialties.
• Evaluate the effectiveness and impact of the CPD Program through key performance indicators that measure participation, reach, learner satisfaction, responsiveness to identified needs, educational impact, practice change, quality improvement, and contribution to improved patient care, where feasible.

Updated 2026.