Receiving and reflecting on feedback is a crucial aspect of learning and key to continuous professional development. Giving and receiving feedback can be difficult however, particularly when the feedback is perceived as negative. How we deliver or receive feedback is strongly influenced factors including our state of mind at the time, stressful life events, acute and chronic health problems, neurodivergence, difficult work environments, working in the NHS for the first time, or even experiencing burn out.

It is important to recognise when other factors might be influencing performance or the ability to respond to feedback. We recommend that resident doctors seek advice and support around when facing challenging situations that might be impacting on their ability to constructively receive feedback. This support can be accessed through a conversation with their Educational Supervisor or Programme Director, or via self-referral to the TDWS team.

Self-reflection is key to ongoing learning and development. It is a complex skill and involves so much more than simply writing reflective entries in a training portfolio. Reflections form part of everyday practice from thinking about “what have I learnt today”, as well as useful ways to consider clinical or professional events. This encompasses what went well, what could be improved and how to learn from what’s happened. 

Suggested Resources

(Free unless otherwise stated)

The reflective practitioner - guidance for doctors and medical students - GMC

Provides essential advice on reflective practice tailored specifically for doctors and medical students. It highlights the importance of reflection in professional development, patient care, and lifelong learning within the medical field.

Examples of reflection – GMC

Practical examples to guide doctors and medical students in reflective writing, showing how to analyse experiences and identify learning points for improvement.

Feedback Presentation - developed by Dr Annabel Shepherd and Dr Jenny Craig [PPTX]

This PowerPoint may provide a useful summary around Feedback and why is it important.

Reflection and Reflective Writing [DOCX]

The Clinical Educator Programme team at the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine has developed a detailed and practical guide to support reflective practice in medical education. Shared with permission, this resource outlines what reflection is, why it matters, and how to write reflectively - Forrester, M. (2020). Reflection and Reflective Writing. Clinical Educator Programme online resource. Edinburgh Medical School. University of Edinburgh. Edinburgh. UK.

This page was last updated on: 05.11.2025 at 10.51