Assessment / Appraisal

Introduction

Trainees in the School of Psychiatry have appraisal and assessment built into their training.

Appraisal

Appraisal is usually a discussion between the trainer and a trainee about goals to be set or those that have been achieved. It should be a two-way communication that is informal, non-threatening, and confidential. The main aim of appraisal is to encourage and support the trainee. It is designed to help fine-tune the training to the particular needs of individual trainees.  One of the outcomes of appraisal is the PDP.
For each placement aLearning Agreement must be completed. This includes a PDP.

Assessment

Assessment assures and improves the quality of medical training, of qualified doctors and so of clinical practice.  It is the formal measurement of performance by specially developed and validated methods for the purposes of classifying an individual against a standard. Trainees will experience local assessments when they undertake Workplace Based Assessments and external assessments in the form of the College examinations.
Workplace Based Assessments are described and recorded on the College website: https://training.rcpsych.ac.uk/

At the end of each placement a Placement Report (see right) must be completed.