ABSTRACT
Introduction The influence of reflective practice on professional education in the United Kingdom has grown remarkably since the 1970s. A host of initiatives, such as learning portfolios, reflective journals, diaries and professional mentoring schemes bear witness to its contemporary importance across the professions. Its impact in teaching, social work and healthcare has been widely studied and discussed. Prominent examples in the health professions include general practice (Al Shehri, 1995; Mathers et al, 1999; Brigley, 2001), public health medicine (Brigley et al, 1997b) and nursing (Ghaye and Lillyman, 2000). Portfolios, albeit with an assessment or regulatory purpose, have been adopted by some Medical Schools in the training of undergraduates, PRHOs (pre-registration house officers) and SHOs (senior house officers), and by the General Medical Council (GMC) in its proposals for the revalidation of doctors in the United Kingdom. It seems that reflective practice has achieved parity with apprenticeship and competence models of professional training (Furlong and Maynard, 1995).
