Section 4: Maintaining Your Portfolio
Your portfolio is intended to contain evidence of your progress throughout the GEM course in terms of academic, clinical and personal development. It is the tool you will use to record your PPD experiences and show evidence of your ability to direct your own learning. The portfolio is also a formal assessment in Year 1 that could potentially act as a barrier to progression to Year 2 of the GEM course.
The list on page 14 summarises each element of the work/evidence that must be present in your portfolio. More detailed information is provided in the portfolio information itself and full instructions for individual pieces of coursework will be published throughout the year.
The content of the portfolio is under continual review and may be subject to change. Any changes will be notified to you via the bulletin board on WebCT and/or by email therefore you must check both of these on a regular basis.
Regular Self-Assessments and Multi-source Feedback– Year 1 and Year 2
At the end of each PBL case and at the end of each module, you should take the opportunity to reflect and make a brief self-assessment of what you have achieved in terms of your learning; the topics you have mastered and those where your learning is more sketchy. You may use the pro-formas provided in your portfolio (e.g. a checklist of the PBL case learning areas or module learning outcomes) or a more open-ended record. You are asked to keep each written self-assessment safe, to bring them with you to meetings with your personal tutor, and to include the full set in your submitted portfolio.
In addition, while in year 1 you will be asked to choose four people (two other students, one PBL facilitator and one other member of staff - clinician or academic) to complete multi-source feedback (360° appraisal) for you. The forms can be found in your portfolio. Discussion of this multi-source feedback together with reflections on your progress through year 1 will form the basis of your portfolio analysis essay at the end of year 1. This, together with the submission of all required components of your portfolio is a summative piece of work which may form a barrier to your progression to year 2. Further instructions regarding this exercise will be given nearer the time.
Action Plans from Personal Tutor Meetings – Years 1 and 2
Your Personal Tutor meetings provide time and opportunity for you to review your progress on the course. This is a chance to identify your strengths and areas for improvement. At the end of each meeting you should agree an action plan with your Personal Tutor. These plans should all be submitted with your portfolio. These MUST include action plans from at least one meeting per term (though you may wish to meet and write action plans with your Personal Tutor more often than this). Failure to provide evidence of this will mean that the maximum grade that your portfolio will receive will be competent (even if excellent in other criteria).
University of Nottingham Medical Student Contract
Your signed learning contract MUST be included in your portfolio.
Extenuating Circumstances
Please refer to the ‘Extenuating Circumstances Procedure and Guidance’ section in the Student Handbook.
Careers Advice
Nottingham Medical School produces a Career Handbook which provides valuable information on doctor’s career paths and issues that you should start to think about even at this very early stage in your medical career. This is available through the website of the East Midlands Healthcare Workforce Deanery below which you should refer to at regular intervals.
www.trentdeanery.nottingham.ac.uk
The list on page 14 summarises each element of the work/evidence that must be present in your portfolio. More detailed information is provided in the portfolio information itself and full instructions for individual pieces of coursework will be published throughout the year.
The content of the portfolio is under continual review and may be subject to change. Any changes will be notified to you via the bulletin board on WebCT and/or by email therefore you must check both of these on a regular basis.
Regular Self-Assessments and Multi-source Feedback– Year 1 and Year 2
At the end of each PBL case and at the end of each module, you should take the opportunity to reflect and make a brief self-assessment of what you have achieved in terms of your learning; the topics you have mastered and those where your learning is more sketchy. You may use the pro-formas provided in your portfolio (e.g. a checklist of the PBL case learning areas or module learning outcomes) or a more open-ended record. You are asked to keep each written self-assessment safe, to bring them with you to meetings with your personal tutor, and to include the full set in your submitted portfolio.
In addition, while in year 1 you will be asked to choose four people (two other students, one PBL facilitator and one other member of staff - clinician or academic) to complete multi-source feedback (360° appraisal) for you. The forms can be found in your portfolio. Discussion of this multi-source feedback together with reflections on your progress through year 1 will form the basis of your portfolio analysis essay at the end of year 1. This, together with the submission of all required components of your portfolio is a summative piece of work which may form a barrier to your progression to year 2. Further instructions regarding this exercise will be given nearer the time.
Action Plans from Personal Tutor Meetings – Years 1 and 2
Your Personal Tutor meetings provide time and opportunity for you to review your progress on the course. This is a chance to identify your strengths and areas for improvement. At the end of each meeting you should agree an action plan with your Personal Tutor. These plans should all be submitted with your portfolio. These MUST include action plans from at least one meeting per term (though you may wish to meet and write action plans with your Personal Tutor more often than this). Failure to provide evidence of this will mean that the maximum grade that your portfolio will receive will be competent (even if excellent in other criteria).
University of Nottingham Medical Student Contract
Your signed learning contract MUST be included in your portfolio.
Extenuating Circumstances
Please refer to the ‘Extenuating Circumstances Procedure and Guidance’ section in the Student Handbook.
Careers Advice
Nottingham Medical School produces a Career Handbook which provides valuable information on doctor’s career paths and issues that you should start to think about even at this very early stage in your medical career. This is available through the website of the East Midlands Healthcare Workforce Deanery below which you should refer to at regular intervals.
www.trentdeanery.nottingham.ac.uk