Formats of Medical Events in Kazakhstan: Congress, Conference, Forum, Masterclass, Intensive and Exhibition

One day at an international congress earns a physician 40 CPD credit units. Eighty hours of webinars earn the same. The format of an event is not cosmetic — it is one of the main factors both in what you learn and in how quickly you accumulate the five-year 210-credit norm required under Kazakhstan CPD rules (clause 14 of the Rules).

The medevent.kz catalog covers six main formats — congress, conference, forum, masterclass, intensive, and exhibition. Below is a quick breakdown of each: what happens, who it fits, and how many credits it earns.

Terminology note: the Russian text of the CPD regulation uses "зачётная единица" (ЗЕ) and the Kazakh text uses "сынақ бірлігі" (СБ). Both are Kazakhstans local names for what international practice calls a CPD credit. We use "credit" throughout.

Quick comparison

Rates come from Appendix 1 to the CPD Rules. The events level (regional / republic / international) is stated by the organiser in the programme and supporting documents.

Congress

The largest format. Runs for 2–4 days, often with parallel sessions and sub-tracks. Typically mixes scientific talks, roundtables, clinical case discussions, masterclasses, and poster sessions.

Best fit: physicians who want a one-shot overview of the state of their specialty, want to accumulate a lot of CPD credits at once, and want to see new techniques demonstrated live.

Notes: high credit rate (up to 40 per day at international level), but participation cost is usually high too. The multi-track programme means choosing what to attend in advance.

Conference

Closer to an academic format. 1–2 days, focused on a single topic or a narrow direction. Talks run sequentially, all attendees share one audience.

Best fit: those who want a deep dive into a specific clinical topic without parallel tracks.

Notes: more focused than a congress. Often cheaper or free (especially online). Earns 5–40 credits per day depending on level.

Forum

Closer to an industry discussion than pure science. Often includes a business agenda — regulation, healthcare system economics, interaction with industry. Can run 1–3 days.

Best fit: healthcare administrators, clinic directors, physicians who want to understand not only the clinical side but the wider context.

Notes: CPD rate matches conference / congress rates if the organiser declares an equivalent level.

Masterclass

Fully hands-on. Usually 2–8 hours, led by one or several experts, covers a specific technique: a manipulation, a surgical approach, an ultrasound protocol, work with equipment.

Best fit: physicians who want to acquire a new skill, not hear about one.

Notes: CPD rate is 0.5 per hour (same as a webinar), but real value is higher — you leave with a working skill. Often has pre-screening of participants by experience.

Intensive

A compact but complete upskilling cycle: from one day to 2–3 weeks. Combines theory and practice, usually ends with a formal certificate.

Best fit: those planning a specialty change, learning a new method, or making a major update to knowledge in one area.

Notes: if the intensive qualifies as an upskilling cycle in the physicians specialty, it earns the highest rate available in the "general" catalog: 1 credit per hour of instruction (Appendix 1, Chapter 1).

Exhibition

Formally not an educational event but rather infrastructure for contacts, familiarisation with new equipment and drugs, meetings with manufacturers. Often runs alongside a parallel business or educational programme.

Best fit: physicians who need equipment, consumables, supplier connections, or a market overview.

Notes: an exhibition on its own does not earn CPD credits. But if a conference or masterclass runs inside it, that portion is credited at that events rate.

Choosing a format for your goal

Quick guide:

• Need credits fast → intensive (1 credit per hour) or international congress (40 credits per day).
• Deep dive into one topic → conference.
• Learn a specific skill → masterclass.
• See the whole specialty landscape → congress.
• Business agenda and connections → forum or exhibition.
• Equipment and suppliers → exhibition.

Where to find all six formats in the calendar

Each format is its own filter in medevent.kz:

• Congresses
• Conferences
• Forums
• Masterclasses
• Intensives
• Exhibitions

Filters by city and month let you match a format to your schedule.

Sources

1. Ministry of Health Order No. ҚР ДСМ-283/2020 — "On approval of the Rules for confirming CPD results, assigning and confirming the qualification level of healthcare workers." Appendix 1 lists the CPD credit rate for every event format (Chapters 1, 2, 3).
2. CPD for Doctors in Kazakhstan: 210 credits over 5 years — the full guide to the CPD system, with the complete credit-rate schedule.

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Cover photo: Thorium / Unsplash