The VetGDP e-portfolio: a practical guide for graduates
The information and videos on this page are designed for vet graduates and explain how to use the VetGDP e-portfolio to record your experience and track your progress throughout the programme.
What is an e-portfolio?
An e-portfolio (electronic portfolio) is a digital space where you can collect and organise evidence of your work, reflections, experiences and feedback - all of which help demonstrate your learning and development over time.
The VetGDP e-portfolio
As a graduate undertaking the VetGDP, you’ll use an e-portfolio to document and track your progress. You’ll upload reflections, feedback and evidence of your involvement in Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs), while receiving input and feedback from your VetGDP Adviser.
This collaborative process helps you build confidence, identify areas for growth, and reflect on your strengths.
Designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, the e-portfolio lets you upload documents and photographs. You can also upload feedback and reflections in audio format.
Logging into and setting-up your e-portfolio
Before logging into the VetGDP e-portfolio, make sure you've reviewed the VetGDP graduate checklist, which outlines what you need in place to begin.
Logging in
Log into your 1CPD account using the same credentials as for your RCVS My Account. Click the gold VetGDP button on your dashboard.
Set your workplace and adviser
When you access the VetGDP platform for the first time, you’ll be prompted to select:
- Your place of work, and
- Your VetGDP Adviser from a dropdown list.
If your adviser doesn't appear on the list:
- Double-check your practice relationship is correctly set in My Account.
- Ask your VetGDP Adviser to ensure they’ve completed their adviser declaration
- Ask your practice to ensure all VetGDP declarations are submitted and up to date
Complete the graduate questionnaire
Your first task after logging in is to complete a confidential questionnaire. This will help identify your current levels of confidence and skill across various areas. It’s a helpful tool to guide your learning focus and personalise the support you receive throughout the VetGDP.
Video: getting started with the e-portfolio
RCVS Senior Education Officer Britta Crawford provides step-by-step guidance on logging into your e-portfolio, selecting your workplace and adviser, and choosing EPAs to track your progress.
Choosing Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs)
At the beginning of the VetGDP, you’ll work with your VetGDP Adviser to select the Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) that reflect your role. These choices shape your learning journey so should accurately reflect the scope of your work. If they don't, this may be questioned during the independent peer review of your e-portfolio.
Once the EPAs have been agreed upon, your adviser must confirm the selection within the e-portfolio. You can then begin documenting your progress.
Deciding which EPAs are right for you
Work with your adviser
You and your VetGDP Adviser will review the full list of EPAs and decide together which ones apply to your job.
Reflect your full role
The EPAs you select should cover the entire scope of your work, including occasional or specialised tasks.
Get it right from the start
Inaccurate or incomplete EPA selection may lead to issues at the peer review stage, where your e-portfolio is independently assessed.
Next steps
Once your EPAs have been agreed upon, your adviser will confirm the selection in the e-portfolio. You can then begin recording your progress and reflections.
Video: managing your EPAs
Step-by-step guidance on how to effectively manage your EPAs, including how to select different EPAs if the current ones are no longer appropriate for your position.
Video: copying your activities from one EPA to another
If a case or experience relates to multiple EPAs, it’s useful to copy the activity across. As well as saving you time, this ensures your progress is fully reflected.
The following video shows you how to duplicate activities efficiently.
E-portfolio top tips
General tips
- Continue to fulfil your regular responsibilities while actively working on your selected EPAs.
- Aim to make reflective logging a regular habit - ideally, once a week.
- Document your progress in relation to the context of each EPA and associated variables. This will create a comprehensive picture of your experience and competencies.
- Feedback from your VetGDP Adviser is integral to the programme. Remember to record and reflect upon this feedback in your e-portfolio.
- When logging activities and reflections, regularly refer back to the description and success criteria for each EPA. These show you the evidence you need in your e-portfolio.
- Demonstrate how you meet the EPA requirements by applying the success criteria to all relevant areas.
- Avoid including any personal or identifying information about yourself, your clients, or your workplace.
Activities tips
- Activities should contain clear, concise evidence demonstrating the requirements of the particular EPA.
- While you are not writing a detailed case report, you should describe what happened when you assessed the animal.
- Include signalments and a description of the issue or the procedure relevant to the EPA.
- Include justifications for your decisions and share your thought processes and considerations. If you feel it's more appropriate, you may include these as part of your reflections.
- Add other information relevant to the EPA, for example: client and/or animal cooperation; were you acting independently or supported by a colleague?
- Keep all inputs anonymous - protect your identity, clients, and practice.
Reflections tips
You can record reflections in three ways:
- Audio: speak for up to five minutes by clicking the record button.
- Guided reflection: answer specific questions in the e-portfolio.
- Free text: write your reflection openly without restrictions.
Reflections should be more than "I think this went well.”
Ask yourself:
- What have I learned?
- How is my practise evolving as a result?
- What feedback did I receive, and how did it influence my approach?
- What have I gained from the experience overall?
Remember, some of the best learning experiences come where things don’t quite go according to plan. Include a range of experiences and highlight what you've learned from each.
Video: adding activities, reflections and progress reviews
This step-by-step guide will take you through recording progress reviews and activities in your e-portfolio - including documenting adviser conversations, setting SMART goals, reflecting on feedback, and logging your experiences.
Progress reviews
You and your VetGDP Adviser should meet at least once a month throughout the VetGDP programme. Each meeting needs to be fully documented in your e-portfolio.
During these sessions, you’ll review your progress across your selected EPAs. If time is limited, focus on a few EPAs each time, making sure all of them are covered over multiple meetings.
Top tips for progress reviews
- Always refer back to the EPA descriptions and success criteria.
- Reflect on what you’ve achieved and identify areas where you need more experience.
- Discuss cases in terms of your development - compare current cases with previous ones, highlighting how your knowledge and skills are growing.
- Talk about a range of cases since your last review, including basic and challenging ones.
- Review previous progress discussions - what’s changed or stayed the same?
- Together with your adviser, set SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely - and revisit these at your next meeting to track progress.
Using sliding scales to track progress
You’ll work with your adviser to assess your experience level for each EPA criterion using sliding scales.
These scales are a tool to encourage honest reflection and meaningful discussion about your capabilities. The goal is to show clear progression on these scales within 12-18 months of starting your role - but this timeframe can vary depending on your individual journey.
Remember, professional development is ongoing; some scales of progress may never be fully completed.
What if an EPA doesn't have scales?
Not all EPAs are suited to sliding scale assessments.
In these cases:
- Use the Progress Review form to document your progress.
- If no scales appear in the e-portfolio, you’ll see a blank page - just click Save to continue.
Submitting your e-portfolio
Once you are confident in performing all aspects of your role competently and independently, discuss with your VetGDP Adviser when to submit your e-portfolio for assessment.
Before submitting, make sure:
- Your e-portfolio is complete
- It clearly demonstrates your development
- It includes enough evidence to show you meet the required standards
Questions to consider before submission
- Have you reviewed the description and success criteria for each of your EPAs?
- Are you confident that you can perform all of your tasks independently as a capable veterinary surgeon?
- Does your e-portfolio include activities, reflections, and progress reviews for every EPA you selected?
- Have you set goals with your VetGDP Adviser, provided evidence that you achieved them, and reflected on your progress?
- Have you checked that your e-portfolio contains no personal or identifiable information about yourself, clients, or your practice?
What happens next
Once you submit your e-portfolio, your VetGDP Adviser will be notified by email. They will need to log in and approve your submission before it moves to the peer review stage.
You can track the progress of your review within the e-portfolio system.
The review process
After your e-portfolio is anonymised, it will be assessed by the RCVS Education Department. If it meets the required standards, it will then be sent to a peer reviewer.
Peer reviewers are experienced vets who have become VetGDP Advisers - like your own - and have completed additional peer reviewer training.
Peer review feedback
The peer reviewer will provide constructive feedback on your e-portfolio, letting you know if it is complete or if more information is needed.
Remember, this feedback is meant to support your learning and professional growth - not to criticise. It’s designed to help improve your practice and encourage continued development.
Carefully review the feedback with your VetGDP Adviser and make any necessary adjustments before resubmitting your e-portfolio.
Video: submitting your e-portfolio
The following video provides step-by-step guidance on the process of submitting your e-portfolio for review and assessment, covering the key steps to ensure your submission is complete and accurate.
Changing practice and/or VetGDP Adviser
If you start a new job at a different practice partway through your VetGDP, follow these steps to update your information:
- Confirm your new VetGDP Adviser is accredited. Make sure your new VetGDP Adviser has:
- Completed their VetGDP Adviser training, and
- Submitted the required declarations via their RCVS My Account
- Update your practice relationship
- Log into your RCVS My Account
- Update your relationship to reflect your new practice
- Reset your VetGDP e-portfolio. In your VetGDP e-portfolio:
- Click the cog icon in the top right corner
- Select the Reset button. Don’t worry - your existing records will remain unchanged.
- Select your new practice and adviser. From the drop-down list, choose:
- Your new place of work, and
- Your new VetGDP Adviser