Portfolios and Personal Development Plans

Abstract

The ePortfolio—love it or loathe it—is an integral part of the workplace-based assessment, it is now a fact of life for general practice trainees. It is also preparation for the appraisal system for qualified GPs, which is heavily reliant upon portfolios of evidence and the creation of personal development plans (or PDPs). Such reliance is only likely to increase with the proposed new revalidation system, which is currently expected to be introduced in 2010–11. Given this context, it is wise for GP trainees to learn how to use these tools to best effect, not only to provide robust evidence of good practice but also to aid personal development. This article aims to describe the way in which PDPs and portfolios can be best employed during your years as a trainee, equipping you with useful skills for a career in general practice. Although the use of tools such as significant event analysis, audit and the consultation observation tool (COT) and case-based discussion, assessments are all important reflective components of the ePortfolio, they will not be discussed in depth in this article.