The old ePortfolio was switched off at 5pm on 31 July 2024.
All users, including doctors in non-training posts and trainees who have chosen to finish their training on the 2010 curriculum, are transferring to the new ePortfolio platform.
Many of you have been in contact with the RCOphth with queries about moving to the new ePortfolio. We understand that moving to a new platform can be a confusing process – and that there are bound to be queries and teething problems. We are continually updating the advice and guidance on the website to help you in this transition – and will do our best to deal with your queries, either via [email protected] or [email protected].
Below are Frequently Asked Questions which you are encouraged to view to see if your particular query can be answered. This is being continually updated.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q I am a trainee. What is happening and what do I do now?
A You will have received emails from a company called FourteenFish, which is our ePortfolio provider.
The first email told you what would happen.
The second, sent on 1 August, invited you to set up your account.
Your account is set up once you have clicked through, and set your password and multi-factored authentication (MFA) credentials. You will then get a final confirmation – from FourteenFish – that you are all set up.
After that point you can proceed to:
- Invite your educational supervisor, and they can then create their own account. This is really important as they will not able to view your portfolio until you do this.
- Go to the Curriculum Catch-up area on your portfolio and complete the required steps. Please check the table further below to see what you have to upload. You can find Help Guides for both curricula on the ePortfolio. This is a one-off exercise.
Q I am a trainee or a doctor in a non-training post. Why can’t I see my legacy data?
A An issue with the software means that you cannot currently see your previous data when you first access the ePortfolio. We are working to resolve this and will keep you updated on progress.
If you downloaded your old ePortfolio you will, of course, have it available. Please do not upload it to the new ePortfolio – we will do this for you in due course.
Q I am an assessor. Why haven’t I had any information about creating an account?
A If you were registered as an assessor in the old system, you will not need to create a new account. Trainees and doctors in non-training posts will be able to email you direct links to assessment forms.
Q I am an educational supervisor. Why haven’t I had any information about creating an account?
A Your invitation will come from your trainee/s, not from the ePortfolio provider (FourteenFish) as the system requires trainees to invite you to join. Once you’ve received the invitation, follow the steps to create your account, and you will then be able to view your trainees’ portfolios.
Q I am an educational supervisor and I have a new ST1 allocated to me. What do I need to do to get access to the new ePortfolio in time for our initial meeting?
A There will be nothing to see in the new ePortfolio until your trainee, whether existing or new, creates their own account.
It is the responsibility of your trainees to invite you to access their account. You will not receive a separate invite from FourteenFish.
It may take a few weeks to get full access in place but meetings with new OST1s can still take place. You can see the new OST Curriculum here.
Visit the curriculum microsite for quick access to specific sections of the curriculum documentation.
Q I am a training programme director (TPD), college tutor (CT) or regional educational advisor (REA). Why can’t I see trainee portfolios even though I have set up an account?
A You will have had an email from FourteenFish asking you to register and set up your password. Once you are set up, they will send you further communication.
It will take a few weeks for you to see the trainee portfolios. This is due to the one-off manual portfolio creation process.
Trainees will not need to invite TPDs, CTs or REAs to view their portfolio. Once trainee accounts have been created, the FourteenFish support team will manually link the relevant TPD/CT/REA accounts to their trainee portfolios. TPDs, CTs or REAs will not be able to view trainee portfolios until the accounts have been fully linked to the new platform.
Q I am a named clinical supervisor. Why haven’t I received any information about setting up an account?
A As named clinical supervisor (NCS) your role is only to complete EPAs in your Special Interest Area (SIA). You are not supposed to access trainee portfolios as a whole but only need to see the evidence that the trainee is presenting to support their relevant EPA. You will receive direct requests to complete EPAs, similar to any other assessor completing a, say, DOPS or OSATS.
Q I am a trainee or doctor in a non-training post. I missed the 31 July deadline for downloading my whole portfolio or the required information for the curriculum catch-up process. What should I do?
A Please contact [email protected] and we will do our best to help you.
Q I am a trainee or a doctor in a non-training post. I have accessed my new ePortfolio account but still cannot see the Ophthalmology area. What should I do?
A Please contact the FourteenFish Helpdesk and use the ‘RCOphth’ option on the form. You might not get an immediate reply at such a busy time. Alas, RCOphth staff can’t assist you directly with this.
In the meantime, you may download the Word version of the new assessment tools, complete them with your assessor(s) and then remember to transcribe the information online once your new portfolio account has been set up correctly.
Q I am a trainee or a doctor in a non-training post. I have accessed my new ePortfolio account but the details are incorrect. What should I do?
A Please contact the FourteenFish Helpdesk, use the ‘RCOphth’ option on the form and provide as much information as possible.
Q I am a consultant and I want to record my CPD activities. What should I do?
A You can find details here .
More information about documenting CPD activities in the new system will be available soon.
Q I am a trainee or a doctor in a non-training post. I accepted the invitation from FourteenFish but I still haven’t received the email to register.
A Please bear with FourteenFish who are working through the account set-up process which takes time. If you still haven’t had the email to register after two weeks, please contact the FourteenFish Helpdesk and copy to [email protected].
Q I am a trainee or a doctor in a non-training post. I haven’t received any communication at all from FourteenFish.
A All your details were shared with FourteenFish. You should check your spam/junk folder to see if the invitation email is there. If it is not, please contact the FourteenFish Helpdesk and copy to [email protected].
Q I am a trainee or non-training doctor who has not yet got access to the ePortfolio. What should I do if I need to do an assessment?
A You may download the Word version of the new assessment forms from our dedicated site https://curriculum2024.rcophth.ac.uk/assessment/ , complete them with your assessors and then remember to transcribe the information online once your new portfolio account has been set up.
Q I am a new ST1 trainee. Why can’t I access the Portfolio?
A You must pay your first subscription fee. We cannot give you access to our platforms until the enrolment process has been completed in full.
Once we receive confirmation from the Membership Department that all is in order, your Eye Logbook registration will be approved and your details will be shared with our new ePortfolio supplier, FourteenFish. The latter will then send you instructions to create your portfolio account. The entire process is manual this year because of the transfer to a new system, so please bear with us.
What trainees will need to upload to the new ePortfolio Curriculum Catch-up area
| Item | If you are moving to Curriculum 2024 | If you are staying on Curriculum 2010 |
|
Curriculum Transition Checklists All Curriculum Transition Checklists (CTCs) used to establish gaps in training before discussing transition plans with educational teams must be signed by the relevant ES. CTCs may not have been needed in all instances – please refer to the transition aids for details. |
Yes | No |
|
Level Intention Form It was mandatory to complete the Level Intention Form (LIF) before the recent ARCP to agree the appropriate level of training at the transition point (August 2024). The LIF must be validated by both ES and TPD with real signatures. |
Yes | No |
|
ST6/7 and ST4-7 cumulative core competencies If you are not transferring to Curriculum 2024, you should compile a list of ST6/7 and ST4-7 cumulative core competences which show as outstanding in your existing traffic-light grid, accompanied by a screen-capture of the relevant tabs. |
No | Yes |
|
Examination result letters/emails An email or letter is issued by the Examinations department after each sitting. If old correspondence is unavailable, a screenshot of the legacy Exam Results tab – accompanied by a brief explanation – will suffice. The aim is to make exam result records immediately available to your educational team. |
Yes | Yes |