Flexible portfolio training: a novel approach to future physician training

Flexible portfolio training (FPT) is a novel Royal College of Physicians' training scheme developed in 2019 to tackle issues of burnout, retention and recruitment among medical registrars. Awareness of the FPT scheme may be lacking and this article intends to inform potential future FPT trainees and their supervisors. Open to applicants at the time of appointment to higher specialty training, the FPT scheme protects up to 20% of total training time for trainees to pursue an area of interest in one of four pathways (medical education, quality improvement, clinical informatics and research) without extending time to achieve their certificate of completion of training (CCT). Training numbers remain limited and are only available in certain areas across England and Wales. This article explores the benefits of FPT including medical scholarship, flexibility of time and flexible development of personal learning outcomes and objectives and, crucially, improved wellbeing. The experience of FPT trainees and example projects from those on the medical education pathway in the East Midlands suggest that the scheme can address some of the concerns identified in the future doctor report, potentially sustaining trainees through specialty training, preventing stress and burnout as well as propelling individuals towards lifelong and rewarding careers.