Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today." — Malcolm X

eHorus Advice…

Maintaining a comprehensive and well-structured portfolio on eHORUS is a core requirement for foundation doctors. Beyond meeting the standards for ARCP progression, a well-developed portfolio offers a valuable opportunity for personal and professional growth. This document outlines the core expectations for each rotation, suggestions on how to meet and exceed the standard, and advice for those aspiring to the annual Best Portfolio Award.

Minimum Requirements

Per-rotation

  • 2 Mini-CEX

  • 2 CBDs

  • 2 DOPS

  • 2 Reflections

  • PDP form

  • Clinical supervisor induction and end of placement meeting

  • Educaiton supervisor induction and end of placement meeting

What Exceptional Looks Like

Depth of Reflection and Insight

Reflections are analytical, not descriptive; they demonstrate emotional intelligence, professional values, and critical thinking.

Evidence shows that feedback is actively used to improve clinical practice.

Breadth of Experience and Clinical Reasoning

Assessments span a wide variety of clinical contexts and levels of complexity. Going beyond the simple procedures or minimum number of MiniCex/DOPS/reflections.

Across the year

  • TAB

  • R-Form

  • Placement Supervision Group Feedback

  • ALS Course

  • Peer Teaching Feedback

  • 60 learning hours, of which minimum 30 core hours

  • Mapping of evidence

  • QIP/Audit

Leadership and Teaching Engagement

Documented evidence of leading or significantly contributing to QI/audit projects.

Engagement with inter-professional learning or leadership activities not just within the clinical environment but also beyond.

Professional Presentation and Organisation

Portfolio is clearly structured, with accurate tagging to Foundation Capabilities.

Supervisor reports are thorough, and portfolio entries are free of errors or duplication.

MSRA Exam…

The Multi-Specialty Recruitment Assessment (MSRA) is a computer-based test used for shortlisting and selection across several UK specialty training programmes, including General Practice, Psychiatry, Radiology, and Core Surgical Training. It assesses professional attributes and clinical problem-solving ability. A strong MSRA score can significantly enhance your application ranking or in some cases, serve as the sole determinant of interview offers.

  • Professional Dilemmas (PD)

    • 50 Questions

    • 95 minutes

    • Situational judgement, ethical reasoning, teamwork

    Clinical Problem Solving (CPS)

    • 97 Questions

    • 75 minutes

    • Clinical knowledge across core Foundation-level topics

  • Common Topics Include:

    • Patient safety and risk management

    • Communication and teamwork

    • Professional integrity and ethical dilemmas

    • Dealing with pressure and prioritisation

    Preparation Strategy:

    • Understand the format. Most questions are either:

      Ranking-type e.g., order options from most to least appropriate OR multiple-best e.g., choose 3 options that together form the best response

    • Use question banks. Practice the mock MSRA- question banks.

    • Revise key GMC guidance e.g., Good Medical Practice

    • Practise under timed conditions:
      Time management is essential, ensure you can complete 50 questions in 95 minutes.

  • Core Subjects Include:

    • Cardiovascular, respiratory, and GI medicine

    • Endocrinology and diabetes

    • Neurology, renal, and rheumatology

    • Paediatrics, obstetrics & gynaecology, psychiatry

    • Surgery and trauma

    • Prescribing and diagnostics

Preparing a Portfolio for Specialty Training Applications…

A well-prepared portfolio is a critical component of most specialty training applications in the UK. In most cases, there are four themes that will boost your portfolio: Teaching, QIP/Audit, Publications & Presentations, Commitment to Speciality. Remember, whilst some specialities don’t score all four areas, in most cases you’ll benefit from having a strong experience in the four domains either in interviews or in your future career development.

Four Generic Themes…

    • Deliver peer or undergraduate teaching.

    • Obtain formal feedback forms.

    • Reflect on your teaching and log it in ePortfolio or a teaching log.

    • Teaching qualifications are an added benefit.

    • Aim for at least one completed QI or audit cycle in an area you are interested in.

    • Try to present results at a local or national meeting.

    • Use QI methodology if possible (e.g. PDSA cycles).

    • Secondary (e.g., literature reviews) and primary research can be submitted to online journals or conferences that are PubMed Indexed.

    • Being a first author scores additional points!

    • Even posters at local meetings may score points.

    • Undertake taster weeks or shadowing.

    • Join specialty interest groups or societies.

    • Write reflections and request formal sign-off.

    • Be Creative…Be Eager.