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Free CPD reflection template for doctors
Record why you learned, what changed and what you will do next. Choose a blank template or compare an illustrative worked example.
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Open the fillable PDF to type into the fields or print it. Use the Word or plain-text version to adapt the headings for your own portfolio.
Write a useful CPD reflection
Start with learning you actually undertook. Be specific about the gap you addressed, the source or activity, what you learned and the action you intend to take.
- Name the need. What prompted the activity, and what did you want to understand?
- Record the activity. Include the date, actual time spent and useful source references.
- Explain the learning. Describe what you understood better and what still needs attention.
- Plan the impact. Choose an action and a date or trigger for reviewing what changed.
Your reflection can be short. The useful detail is the connection between your learning need, your learning and your next step.
What the template includes
- Learning title
- Give the activity a title you can recognise later.
- Professional context (optional)
- Your role, specialty or practice context, if useful.
- Activity date
- Record when you undertook the learning.
- Actual time spent
- Record your actual learning time and its unit.
- Activity and sources
- What did you do? Include source titles, links or references.
- Why did I choose this learning?
- Describe the question, knowledge gap or development need.
- What did I learn?
- Write the important learning in your own words. Note what remains uncertain.
- How will this influence my practice?
- Explain what you intend to continue, change or explore further.
- Next action and intended impact
- Choose a practical action, who is involved and when you will do it.
- Review date or trigger
- Set a useful date or event for reviewing the impact.
- Follow-up: what actually changed?
- Complete when you review the activity. Describe observed impact, evidence and remaining needs.
- Supporting evidence (optional)
- List useful attachments, notes or references.
- Development plan or framework link (optional)
- Connect the learning to your own development objective or relevant framework.
Illustrative worked example
Reviewing a learning need in atrial fibrillation
This example shows a possible structure. Use your own activity, words, time and observed impact when completing your record.
- Learning title
- Reviewing a learning need in atrial fibrillation
- Professional context (optional)
- UK doctor working in general practice
- Activity date
- 9 November 2026 (illustrative)
- Actual time spent
- 25 minutes (illustrative; record your own actual time)
- Activity and sources
- Read relevant NICE atrial fibrillation guidance, completed self-assessment questions and considered how to apply the learning. Source: NICE NG196, https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng196.
- Why did I choose this learning?
- I wanted to make my approach to discussing stroke-prevention options more consistent after identifying uncertainty in my knowledge.
- What did I learn?
- I consolidated the need to connect risk assessment, patient preferences and documented follow-up in a shared decision. I also identified a gap in my understanding of medicine-specific cautions, which I plan to review using current prescribing information.
- How will this influence my practice?
- I will prepare explanations more deliberately, make agreed follow-up explicit and revisit the relevant source when I remain uncertain. I will check whether my documentation makes the reasoning and agreed plan clear.
- Next action and intended impact
- This week: revisit the relevant guidance and medicine references. At my next peer discussion: review my approach to explaining benefits and harms. In four weeks: check whether the documentation reflects the changes I intended.
- Review date or trigger
- Four weeks after this activity, or earlier after discussing the learning with a colleague.
- Follow-up: what actually changed?
- To complete at review: What changed? What evidence supports that? What remains uncertain?
- Supporting evidence (optional)
- Guidance reference, question-session learning points and notes from peer discussion.
- Development plan or framework link (optional)
- My development objective: explain clinical decisions clearly and document agreed follow-up.
Reflection and recording guidance
The GMC describes CPD as learning that keeps knowledge and skills up to date, with reflection on its relevance and impact. These primary sources explain the approach: