ABSTRACT
The appraiser will find appraisees who enthusiastically embrace appraisal and those who doubt its use and place in their professional development. The medical profession’s place in society was changed forever, and the trust of the public to allow doctors to self-regulate and be responsible for the structure and management of their own professional development was over. Appraisal is an ongoing process that encourages individuals to be aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and to identify their developmental needs. While society demonstrates great trust in, and respect for, the professions, it demands that the individual is worthy of that trust and respect. It is understandable therefore that a national appraisal system for all doctors began to be introduced only as 2001. The pilot appraisal systems for doctors and the more established systems for nurses shared, in common with industry, the problems and uncertainties generated by confusion about the purpose of appraisal.
