What it is
A senior doctor watches you assess a real patient and completes the form afterwards. In ST1 and ST2 it counts towards the combined total of four COT/mini-CEX a year. ST3 is normally all general practice, so COTs are used.
- Assessor: your clinical supervisor (preferred), a doctor at ST4 or above, or an SAS doctor with equivalent experience.
- Not an FY doctor, core trainee or another GP trainee.
The numbers by year
| Requirement | ST1 | ST2 | ST3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise (mini-CEX) | counts towards the combined total of 4 with COT | counts towards the combined total of 4 with COT | Not required ST3 is normally all GP; COT used |
| Consultation Observation Tool (COT), including Audio-COT check current RCGP guidance | 4 per year 2 per review COT in GP posts, mini-CEX in hospital posts; combined total 4 | 4 per year 2 per review combined COT/mini-CEX total 4 | 7 per year all COT; e.g. 6 face-to-face + 1 Audio-COT |
Full time, per training year unless stated. Less than full time: per-year totals stay the same and each 6-month review needs a pro rata share; 6-monthly ESRs and 12-monthly certificates are not pro rata. Check with your deanery and educational supervisor.
Notes on these numbers
- Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise (mini-CEX), LTFT: Pro rata.
- Consultation Observation Tool (COT), including Audio-COT, LTFT: Pro rata per review period; the per-training-year total is the same.
- Consultation Observation Tool (COT), including Audio-COT, confidence: high (totals and audio rule); medium (per-review split of 2, which is a suggested spread). Our sources were partly secondary for this item: check current RCGP guidance.
How to do it well
- Ask early, at the start of a shift: "I need a mini-CEX for my GP portfolio. Could you watch me assess the next patient and complete the form afterwards?"
- If the assessor has no portfolio account, send them a ticket or request by email from the portfolio the same day.
- Pick encounters with a decision in them, not just a routine clerking.
- Make it count for general practice: in your reflection, add one line on what this patient will need from their GP after discharge.
- Spread them through the post; consultants rotate and go on leave in the last month.
Common ARCP pitfalls
- Asking a peer or junior to complete it: it will not count.
- All mini-CEXs in the last week of the post.
- No reflection on the feedback.