As healthcare professionals, our career development is an ongoing process that requires planning and reflection. Personal Career Development Plans (a.k.a PDPs) are a useful tool to help guide our growth and development, and they have been shown to improve knowledge, skills, and overall job performance (1).

A PDP is a structured plan that defines career goals, outlines strategies to achieve those goals, and identifies any necessary learning opportunities.  By following a PDP, we can better understand our strengths and weaknesses, identify areas for growth, and plan and execute learning activities that align with our career aspirations.

Here are some key steps to creating a PDP:

1.     Define career goals: Start by thinking about your career aspirations and what you want to achieve. Consider the characteristics and skills needed for your desired role, and explore this in more detail by asking people who currently do this job or consulting a college website or professional association.

2.     Self-analysis: Conduct a self-assessment to identify your strengths, weaknesses, and any knowledge or skill gaps. Use data to inform this wherever possible, such as logbooks, diaries, feedback, or benchmarking against standards.

3.     SMART goals: Develop Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely (SMART) goals that align with your career aspirations. Goals can be experiential, exposure-based, educational, or reflective, but it's generally best to make the majority of your goals experiential. For example, a goal could be to observe a more experienced colleague and ask for feedback on a specific skill or technique.

4.     Strategy: Each goal should have a strategy for how to achieve it. This may involve identifying learning opportunities, seeking mentorship, or engaging in professional development activities.

5.     Prioritization: List goals in order of priority, and consider classifying them as short, medium, or long-term goals.

6.     Feedback: Seek feedback on your PDP from a trusted colleague, mentor, or supervisor to ensure that your plan is realistic and achievable.

It's important to remember that a PDP is a work in progress and should be regularly reviewed and updated. By regularly ticking off milestones and reviewing progress, you can ensure that you stay on track and achieve your goals.

In conclusion, a Personal Career Development Plan is an essential tool for healthcare professionals to help guide their growth and development. By taking a structured and reflective approach to career development, you can enhance your knowledge, skills, and overall job performance, leading to greater job satisfaction and career success.

References:

1.     Davis DA, Mazmanian PE, Fordis M, Van Harrison RT, Thorpe KE, Perrier L. Accuracy of physician self-assessment compared with observed measures of competence: a systematic review. Jama. 2006 Sep 6;296(9):1094-102.

2.     Mann K, van der Vleuten C, Eva K, Armson H, Chesluk B, Dornan T, Holmboe E, Lockyer J, Loney E, Sargeant J. Tensions in informed self-assessment: how the desire for feedback and reticence to collect and use it can conflict. Academic Medicine. 2011 Sep 1;86(9):1120-7.

3.     Guly HR. Continuing professional development for doctors in accident and emergency. Emergency Medicine Journal. 2000;17:12-14.