A question that comes up during a shift can become a useful continuing professional development (CPD) record. Capture the question while it is fresh, follow it up with a relevant learning activity, and record what the activity changed or confirmed. Review those records regularly so that appraisal preparation becomes a matter of choosing examples from work you have already done.
For UK doctors, the GMC expects CPD every year across the whole scope of practice, with reflection on what was learned and how it maintained or improved practice. CPD for revalidation is tailored to your work. Individual colleges may offer their own credit guidance. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges emphasises planning throughout the year and selecting relevant learning for discussion. GMC CPD requirements · AoMRC core principles
Capture the question during the shift
Make the first note short enough to write at a natural pause. Record the activity date, the aspect of your work it relates to and the question you want to revisit. For example, after a handover you might write How does our team confirm responsibility for results that return after handover? That is enough to find the right local policy or ask the right colleague later.
Other prompts might come from a teaching session, supervision, a governance meeting or a change in your clinical responsibilities. A clinician reviewing feedback on a teaching session could capture How can I tell whether the group can apply the distinction I taught? Include the context that makes the learning useful and use general descriptions of people and events. Combinations of details can identify someone, so centre the note on your own learning. GMC reflective practitioner guidance
If a clinical lookup in Ask iatroX already clarified something for you, use Save learning under Keep this learning on an eligible answer. With all-access you can start a private, source-linked reflection from that exchange, then review and confirm the entry in My CPD. Keeping the question attached makes it easier to remember what prompted the learning during your weekly review. Ask iatroX
Give open questions a weekly review
Set aside a short slot at the end of the week. Scan your capture notes and choose one or two worth pursuing. Favour questions you encounter often, ones that fit your personal development plan (PDP), and ones you need to resolve for a new role. If an activity has already happened, take a minute to record the actual source, what you took from it and your next step while you still remember the details.
Give an unfinished item a next action such as reviewing the local policy, discussing a workflow with a colleague, completing a module or doing a focused question session. When a few notes point to the same gap, group them into one learning objective. A single entry about improving handover can bring together the policy review and discussion that answered the question.
Turn a clinical gap into a focused iatroX session
iatroX gives you a place to work through a question that deserves more practice. Choose clinical practice as your purpose, set the relevant context and clinical-content library, and start a focused session. The platform offers 5, 10 or 20 questions according to the available material. Attempt them and use Tutor to explore the reasoning behind your answers. That gives you specific material for a reflection, such as an assumption you revised or a distinction you can now explain. iatroX CPD
Completing a targeted session creates a private draft in My CPD. It brings the session activity together with learning points and reflection prompts. Review the activity and time, describe the learning in your own words and confirm the record. You can start with an introductory five-question session and Tutor support on a verified account, then download the reviewed PDF. iatroX all-access includes further CPD sessions alongside its paid question banks and Tutor. iatroX CPD and access options
Write a reflection you can use again
An entry is easy to revisit when it contains four short elements.
- Learning need. What did the work prompt you to understand better?
- Activity and source. What did you actually read, practise or discuss, and when?
- Learning and impact. What did you clarify, change or decide to maintain?
- Follow-up. When will you revisit the action and what will you look for?
Here is an illustrative reflection after the handover question. The doctor has reviewed the local process and discussed it with the team.
Reviewing our guidance and talking it through at the team meeting helped me clarify how ownership of pending results should be made explicit at handover. I plan to confirm who will review a pending result when I hand it over and ask the team at our next meeting whether the wording is clear.
On a later date, the doctor could add what happened at the meeting and any adjustment they agreed. A second entry might cover a teaching activity where learner feedback prompted a change to the examples used. The two entries illustrate different parts of one doctor's work and give the appraiser a clear thread to follow from learning to action.
Put each tool where it helps most
If your employer, designated body or training programme uses a particular portfolio, use that as the destination for the relevant evidence. You can prepare the reflection as part of the learning activity and transfer it when you have reviewed it. The tools below support different parts of that routine. GMC revalidation requirements
| Tool | When it fits your day | How to carry the evidence forward |
|---|---|---|
| iatroX My CPD | A work question leads to a source-linked reflection or focused practice with Tutor | Confirm the record, export a PDF or send it to a linked FourteenFish portfolio. iatroX CPD |
| FourteenFish | You want to record learning notes or already use its appraisal portfolio | Add notes through the website, Learning Diary app or email. Portfolio users can include supporting information in the current appraisal. FourteenFish learning notes |
| Federation Physicians’ CPD Diary | You already participate in the Federation scheme and want to record activities and reflect | Record approved or self-certified activities as applicable and download the reflection report for your appraisal portfolio. Physicians’ CPD app · Report guidance |
Choose the records to discuss at appraisal
Ahead of your review, look across your clinical, teaching and other professional roles. Pick examples that show what you learned, what you changed or kept, and what you will explore next. Link an example to an existing PDP objective when it helps explain your progress. A recurring gap can become a measurable objective for the next year. AoMRC appraisal guide
For records completed in iatroX, use My CPD to find the activities you want to revisit. Export the relevant PDF evidence or send a confirmed record to a linked FourteenFish portfolio. Check the receiving portfolio so you know which items are ready to discuss. iatroX CPD
For a worked example of the handoff between tools, see the BMJ Best Practice and FourteenFish workflow. Capture and transfer CPD evidence
Frequently asked questions
Can I log learning from work as CPD?
Yes. Start with an activity relevant to your scope of practice and describe what you learned and how it helped your work. Day-to-day work, feedback and quality improvement can all inform CPD. GMC CPD requirements
How soon should I write the reflection?
Capture the question and context promptly. Complete the reflection when you have done the learning, then add a dated follow-up when you can describe how it applied in practice.
Can I use iatroX if I already use FourteenFish?
Yes. You can complete and review an iatroX CPD record, then send it to a linked FourteenFish portfolio or export a PDF. iatroX CPD export options