The explosion of knowledge, the technological developments and the need to maintain good doctor-patient relations have been the impetus for organizing a number of continuing professional development (CPD) activities, both individual and collective, in such a context. Continuing professional development is an essential component of medical practice that helps physicians stay up-to-date and deliver the highest quality of care possible. At the suggestion of the Collège des médecins du Québec, organizations interested in continuous professional development created a consultative coordinating body in 1975 that was then known as the "Conseil de l’éducation médicale continue du Québec". Since November 2005, the organization has been called the "Conseil québécois de développement professionnel continu des médecins".