Preparing a learning portfolio has become a mandatory part of the course work in most clinical professions. Students and educators alike sometimes complain that these mandatory assignments become repetitive and uninspired. However, we all need to be able to speak and write clearly as we work with our colleagues, students and those we care for.

In Portfolio To Go, Allan D. Peterkin insists that reflective capacity, critical thinking, creative expression, and narrative competence are attributes that should be developed in every health professional – regardless of the discipline or specialty. Trainees will find over 1000 prompts organized under themes highly relevant to students and educators, including those not formally addressed in class, such as coping with uncertainty and ambiguity, team conflict, and resilience through good self-care. Practical tips for writing effectively and for discussing and evaluating narratives in a helpful, respective manner are provided throughout. Peterkin is a pioneer in emphasizing patient-centred, humanistic care and Portfolio To Go will help to train and develop more reflective practitioners.

Allan D. Peterkin is Professor of Psychiatry and Family Medicine at the University of Toronto where he heads the Program in Health, Arts and Humanities. He is the author of 14 books for adults and children including Staying Human during Residency Training (University of Toronto Press) now in its sixth edition

Allan D. Peterkin's profile page