A record of personal development and experience is becoming mandatory for all doctors. David Brigden advises on a technique that facilitates personal and professional development

A learning portfolio is far more than a curriculum vitae. It is a dynamic and tailor made document that states experience alongside future objectives. It thus provides hard evidence that learning has taken place because it documents not only your experience but also your changing career objectives. A learning portfolio should be a personal summary of the learning events in your life. It may be formal, but it may also include diverse events from outside clinical work that have contributed to your development. The entire content of the portfolio need not be displayed at all times: components may be chosen for certain events. Such a document may be an important contribution to a record of in-training assessment (RITA)1 and may encapsulate more than any other assessment document (box).