How to prepare for your first consultant appraisal

Preparing for your first appraisal as a medical consultant is crucial for ensuring that you meet professional standards and continue to provide high-quality patient care. It can be a daunting prospect but it is important to remember that this is peer to peer appraisal with a flattened hierarchy. It can be a validating and fulfilling process. Appraisals are often run on five yearly cycles to coincide with GMC revalidation, usually with specific requirements (such as one patient survey and one multi source feedback exercise) within each five year cycle. Here are the essential requirements and steps, along with references related to Good Medical Practice:

Steps to Prepare for Your First Appraisal as a Medical Consultant

Understand the Appraisal Process

Familiarise with the Appraisal System: 

Understand the specific appraisal process of your medical institution or trust. Each organisation may have its own procedures, timelines, and documentation requirements. You may be required to provide evidence of your mandatory training log and any details of complaints or investigations with which you have been involved. It can be helpful to reflect on these issues as part of your appraisal.

Know the Timeline:

Ensure you are aware of key dates, including when to submit documentation and when the appraisal meeting will take place.

Format of the Meeting: Know whether the appraisal will be face-to-face, virtual, or a combination of both. Understand the structure of the meeting, including what topics will be covered. Each trust will have an appraisals and revalidation lead who will be able to go through this with you. It is also worth discussing the process with a colleague who has previously had their appraisal in your institution.

Reference:

Medical Appraisal Guide: This NHS document provides a comprehensive overview of the medical appraisal process. Medical Appraisal Guide

Collect Evidence of Your Work

- Maintain a portfolio that includes evidence of your clinical work, such as case studies, patient feedback, clinical audits, and records of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities. Ensure you have documentation of any teaching, research, or leadership roles you’ve undertaken.

- Clinical Work: Include records of patient cases, clinical audits, and treatment outcomes. Highlight significant cases that demonstrate your expertise and decision-making skills.

- CPD Activities: Document all Continuing Professional Development activities, such as courses, seminars, and workshops you’ve attended. The Royal college’s app makes this a particularly easy task. The minimum annual  CPD requirement is 50 hours – of which 25 must be external and up to 10 can be personal (audit, literature search, etc). If possible, include certificates and reflections on what you’ve learned.

- Teaching and Research: Record any teaching sessions you’ve conducted, research projects, publications, and presentations at conferences.

Reference:

NHS England - Preparing for Your Appraisal: Provides guidance on gathering necessary documentation for your appraisal. NHS England Appraisal Preparation

Reflect on Your Practice

Engage in reflective practice by documenting your reflections on clinical cases, patient interactions, and any incidents or complaints. Reflect on what you have learned and how you have improved your practice. 

Reflective Practice: Regularly document reflections on clinical encounters, challenging cases, and patient interactions. Reflect on what went well and what could have been done differently.

Learning and Improvement: Use these reflections to identify areas for personal and professional growth. Reflective practice is crucial for continuous improvement and patient safety.

Reference:

Royal College of Physicians - Appraisal and Revalidation: Offers resources on reflective practice and its importance in medical appraisals. 

Seek Feedback

Actively seek feedback from those you work with, including colleagues, supervisors, and allied health professionals. This feedback can provide valuable insights into your strengths and areas for improvement. It also demonstrates your willingness to learn and grow, which is important in a consultant role. One multi-source feedback exercise and one multiple patient feedback exercise is required in each five year appraisal cycle.

Multi-Source Feedback: Obtain feedback from a range of sources, including colleagues, supervisors, patients, and other healthcare professionals. Use formal tools like 360-degree feedback surveys if available.

Patient Feedback: Collect and reflect on patient feedback to gain insights into your patient care and communication skills.

Reference:

https://www.gmc-uk.org/registration-and-licensing/managing-your-registration/revalidation/guidance-on-supporting-information-for-revalidation/colleague-feedback GMC Feedback Guide

Set Personal Development Goals

Identify areas where you'd like to develop and set yourself related to (both clinical & educational responsibilities) measurable goals for improvement. These could be related to acquiring new skills, taking on more responsibility, or improving your efficiency. Setting clear goals shows your commitment to personal and professional development. It is important to remember that these must be achievable and realistic!

Identify Areas for Improvement: Based on your reflections and feedback, identify specific areas where you need to improve or acquire new skills.

SMART Goals: Set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example, aim to complete a particular training course within six months or improve patient communication skills by attending a workshop.

Reference:

NHS Revalidation Support Team - Setting Personal Goals: Provides advice on how to set effective personal development goals for your appraisal. NHS Revalidation Guide

Prepare Documentation

Gather any relevant documentation to support your achievements and contributions. This could include feedback, Audit / QIP, or training certificates. Having this documentation to hand will make it easier to provide evidence of your achievements during the appraisal.

Organise Your Portfolio: Ensure all documentation is well-organised and easily accessible. This includes your CPD log, evidence of clinical work, feedback reports, and certificates.

Reference:

BMA Consultants' Appraisal: Offers a checklist and tips on preparing necessary documents for your appraisal. https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/career-progression/best-practice/medical-appraisals

Reflect on Challenges

Think about any challenges or obstacles you've faced during the appraisal period and how you've overcome them. This could include tight deadlines, difficult circumstances, or involvement in serious incidents / complaints. Reflecting on how you've handled these challenges demonstrates your resilience and problem-solving skills.

References

Royal College of Physicians - Appraisal and Revalidation: Offers resources on reflective practice and its importance in medical appraisals. 

Additional References:

By following these detailed steps and using the provided references, you can thoroughly prepare for your first appraisal as a medical consultant. We hope you find the process enjoyable and engaging.