E Portfolios

ePortfolios are your online diary to keep a track of your training needs, supervision reports, CPD (see our page on CPD here), reflection logs and exams. It is your diary to evidence your progress as a postgraduate doctor. You, your educational and clinical supervisors, your training programme directors and administrators have access to your eportfolio. This means that it is NOT suitable to keep patient identifiable information here, as it is not a confidential electronic notes system. The evidence is used towards your Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP). Postgraduate trainees across all specialities have an ARCP every year – click on our page for ARCP for more information about this.

It is your responsibility to ensure your ePortfolio is kept up to date. You are in charge of arranging meetings with your supervisors, completing assessments and ensuring you have completed all relevant appraisal forms. Different colleges use different websites for their e-portfolios and so there is specific information on college websites, however here is some generic advice. 

What to log in an ePortfolio: 

 

What to log in an ePortfolio: 

Personal Development Plans (PDPs)

Your PDP is an achievable, relevant and timely set of educational objectives for you to achieve during a period of time. It is likely you will have an initial supervisor meeting and make a PDP at the start of a clinical training post. Examples of things which may be included in your PDP are: life support courses, exams, quality improvement projects, teaching experience. We have a whole page dedicated to advice around PDPs, click here to read it. 

Supervisor or Trainer Report

For each training job, you will be allocated a supervising consultant. You are responsible to contact them (usually via email) and arrange meetings with them. They monitor your progress, read your portfolio and support you to achieve your training goals and pass your ARCP.

Competencies

Each training programme has curriculum and competencies that you need to meet, signed by a supervising consultant or registrar. 

Clinical skills log

Some e-portfolios may have a section to record your clinical skills. Remember not to include any patient identifiable information. 

Workplace based Assessments

There are a variety of workplace based assessments that you will complete. Some training programmes have a requirement to complete a specific number during each year in order to achieve your ARCP. See Royal College websites for requirements. 

DOPS – directly observed procedural skills – these vary between specialities but may include vascular access, lumbar puncture, ultrasound, intubation etc. 

Mini-CEX – a real life interaction between you and a patient which is observed by a suitable person- ideally your Clinical Supervisor but any Specialist and Associate doctors or ST4+ doctors with relevant experience who have met GMC assessor requirements. 

Case Based Discussion (CbDs) – oral discussion with a suitable person about a case -ideally your Clinical Supervisor but any Specialist and Associate doctors or ST4+ doctors with relevant experience who have met GMC assessor requirements. It is completed during protected time. The focus of the discussion is decided and can be mapped to your curriculum. It may be clinical or have another focus e.g. safeguarding, management of patient flow. 

Reflections 

MSF