Abstract

“Good morning. Please sit down. Thank you for coming for your appraisal. Can I see what evidence of your good medical practice you have brought with you?” By 31 March 2002 all consultant oph-thalmologists practising in the United Kingdom should have been appraised. As appraisal has been an essential part of training for senior house officers and specialist registrars for several years, all ophthalmology doctors will be involved in the activity. The actual process for appraisal will vary from trust to trust but the Department of Health has produced instructions regarding the nature of the documentation that the appraisal meet-ing must produce.1 The basis for any appraisal discussion will be the evidence of good medical practice2 that each consultant brings. Such evidence will be collected into some form of carrying case, not necessarily flat, or indeed made of leather, but none the less it could be called a portfolio. So how is your portfolio coming along? Or do you minister without a portfolio? While there may be a wide range of responses from ophthalmologists to the need to produce a portfolio, such re-sponses could fall into one of two broad categories. (1) The “if I have to do it, I will, but don’t expect me to engage in it ” category (2) The “if I have to do it, I may as well see if I can get something out of it” category. Whatever category you feel you are in as you read this, the following, which is largely drawn from the Association for