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E-Portfolios and the NHS

• August 12, 2019

It is vital for you to create and maintain your e-portfolio whilst working for the NHS. By doing so, you will be able to keep an electronic record and evidence of your learning achievements and abilities. This will support your life-long learning as you can reflect on your educational needs and clinical competencies.

An e-portfolio will aid you in:

• Keeping your documents together to evidence your progress and learning
• Reflect on your learning
• Encourage you to think about your personal development plan (PDP)
• Develop your CV
• Prepare for your specialty training interview

How do I organise my e-portfolio?

The advantage of having an electronic portfolio is that it will be presented as:

• Well-structured and organised
• Easy to follow
• Legible

Remember that your e-portfolio should always contain a contents page, summary CV and full CV. Throughout your portfolio it is important to highlight your commitment to your specialty and evidence your plan to meet your career goals.

Tips on how to collate a successful e-portfolio

1. Set aside the same time every week to add to your portfolio, this will increase the detail and save you stress on when you need to present it at your annual appraisal or specialty training interview
2. Look at the requirements from your Royal College and the local Education and Training Board. They should provide you with instructions on layout and order
3. Use the headings from the GMC Good Practice Guide
4. Use ‘reflective’ language
5. Make your Personal Development Plan (PDP) and goals within that plan for the SMART answer strategy
6. Do not overfull your e-portfolio, you want all of the contents to be relevant and easily digestible
7. When completing your e-portfolio ask yourself:
   1. What doe does my portfolio say about me?
   2. Does my portfolio demonstrate my key skills and strengths?
   3. Does my portfolio show my commitment to this specialty?

What is included in an e-portfolio?

Education and Training

Degree certificates, certificate of mastery or completion, lists showing hours or time completed in various areas of study, licenses, lists of competencies, personal studies, educational supervisor reports, self-appraisal, medical reading and courses.

Work Performance

Logs, awards, reviews, evaluations, leadership qualities, teaching experience, feedback from patients, invitations to share your expertise, audits and quality improvement projects, IT skills, prizes, random case analyses, problem case analyses and external clinical sessions.

Communication

Evidence of public speaking, posters and review of performance.

Relocation to the UK

If you are international doctor who wants to relocate to the UK and join the NHS, email your CV to [email protected] and we can support you on your journey to the UK. From securing you an NHS post to finding airport transfers for your new home.

Join our Facebook Group

Are you a member of our Facebook Group? We publish regular blog posts on relocating to the UK and joining the NHS. You can also ask questions and receive ongoing professional advice and support.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/164882810827439

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel

We post one video a week from how to successfully secure an NHS training post to finding schools for your children.

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References

Health Careers. (2019). E-portfolios for doctors. [online] Available at: https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/career-planning/developing-your-health-career/developing-your-portfolio/e-portfolios-doctors [Accessed 9 Aug. 2019].