MAP (Membership by Assessment of Performance)

MAP is a portfolio-based assessment. Successful completion of MAP results in MRCGP.

Candidates complete a comprehensive portfolio of 13 criteria, using templates provided, covering all aspects of their practice.

Candidates submit sets of criteria (minimum of three criteria in a set) on an annual basis. All 13 Criteria must be submitted for assessment within five years from application date.

Candidates may still submit all 13 criteria for assessment in a set if they wish to achieve membership of the RCGP in an accelerated timeframe

After marking of each submission by a panel of MAP assessors (all experienced GPs) some candidates will be asked to attend an interview to discuss their submission.

The MAP flyer [PDF] provides an outline of the benefits of doing MAP.

MAP has been designed for established GPs with a licence to practice and working in the United Kingdom who wish to attain MRCGP. MAP is the only route to membership for established GPs.

MAP is the only route to MRCGP for established GPs.

MAP will help with Revalidation. Five of the MAP criteria are required for Revalidation: quality improvement programmes, significant event audit, complaints and compliments, colleague feedback and patient feedback.

MAP candidates receive discounted associate RCGP membership for the period they are MAP candidates (maximum of five years), which brings with it benefits including publications and bulletins; The Online Learning Environment (OLE); courses and careers information; and networking opportunities, including the annual National Conference. For more details contact RCGP Membership at membership@rcgp.org.uk

MAP encourages you to take a step back from your day to day practice and reflect on what you are doing. Most candidates have found the whole process, not just the result of obtaining MRCGP, to be beneficial to their work.

Download and fill in the portfolio template following the guidance in the MAP Handbook.

MAP Portfolio Template [Word]

MAP Handbook [PDF]

When submitting material for assessment, MAP candidates must confirm that they have read, understood and agree to the MAP regulations.

MAP regulations [PDF] 

 

It is suggested that you set aside approximately 2 hours per week to work on your portfolio.

Previous candidates have reported that working for this amount of time, they have been able to prepare their portfolio in 6 to 9 months.

See the FAQ on additional resources for more supporting information and guidance.

 

Candidates must submit at least three criteria in one submission, and must leave at least three criteria for their last submission.

You may submit sets of criteria in any combination, to suit you, and these sets of criteria may be submitted in any order.

  

Before submitting, you should check the material fulfils the requirements stated in the document below

MAP Portfolio Submission Information [PDF]

 

 

For help compiling the MAP portfolio, see the guidance documents and sample portfolio below:

Planning and getting started with your MAP portfolio [PDF]

Getting the MAP portfolio right [PPT]

MAP Criterion 1 Prescribing guidance [PDF]
MAP Criterion 2 Quality improvement programmes guidance [PDF]
MAP Criterion 3 Learning event analysis (LEA) guidance [PDF]
MAP Criterion 4 Managing acute illnesses guidance [PDF]
MAP Criterion 5 Urgent referrals to secondary care guidance [PDF]
MAP Criterion 6 Care of patients with long term conditions guidance [PDF]
MAP Criterion 7 Reflection on educational activities guidance [PDF]
MAP Criterion 8 Feedback from patients guidance [PDF]
MAP Criterion 9 Complaints and compliments guidance [PDF]
MAP Criterion 10 Feedback from colleagues guidance [PDF]
MAP Criterion 11 Referrals guidance [PDF]
MAP Criterion 12 Good medical records guidance [PDF]
MAP Criterion 13 Ethical principles guidance [PDF]

Further information on Quality improvement may be found in the RCGP Guide Quality improvement in General Practice

Sample MAP Portfolio

MAP Definition of scores

Before submitting your completed MAP portfolio, you should check the material fulfils the requirements stated in the document below

MAP Portfolio Submission Information [PDF]

Newsletters for candidates with helpful tips

MAP candidate newsletter May 2016 (spellcheck hint) [PDF]

MAP candidate newsletter August 2016 (table properties hint) [PDF]     

MAP candidate newsletter October 2016 (section break hint) [PDF]

MAP candidate newsletter December 2016 (document insertion hint) [PDF]

MAP candidate newsletter August 2017 [PDF]

 

The fees for MAP are as follows:

Application fee: £300 which includes the cost of submitting the first three criteria.

Submission fee: £100 per criterion for all subsequent criteria after the first three criteria.

Evaluation Panel (if required): £250

Associate Membership (not mandatory) £129.75 annually * which represents a discount of 75% from the normal rate. *subject to annual review. Membership fees are normally paid by direct debit.

All MAP related payments are made online. The MAP office will contact candidates with links to make payment at the relevant time.

The first set of three criteria must be submitted within one year of application. Candidates will be advised of their submission deadline by email when eligibility is confirmed.

Evidence for your MAP portfolio must be no older than one year on the date it is submitted except for the five criteria common with revalidation (Significant Event Analysis, Quality Improvement Programmes, Complaints and Compliments, Colleague Feedback and Patient Feedback) which must be from your current revalidation cycle.

You should use the same tools that you have used in your current revalidation cycle.  Any tool used must meet the requirements set out by the GMC. For patient surveys you should use standard questionnaires that have been validated and are independently administered to maintain objectivity and anonymity. You should not personally select those asked to give feedback about you, and you should make sure the method used for collecting feedback allows responses to be obtained from a representative sample.

For colleagues surveys you must get colleagues feedback from across your whole scope of practice and must include people from a range of different roles including those who are not doctors. You must choose colleagues impartially.  As for patient surveys it is important that you use standard questionnaires that have been validated and are independently administered to maintain objectivity and confidentiality.

See the RCGP Guide to Supporting information for appraisal and revalidation published in 2018 for more details about GMC requirements for patient and colleague feedback.

Note that you should submit your survey questionnaires as electronically created items, preferably PDF. Please do not scan as images or photograph a paper version for re-transmission electronically.  If you scan the documents they must be saved as a PDF. Scanning as images or photographing survey pages usually results in the file size being too large.  The RCGP will not accept large files incoming by email, therefore pictures are often impossible to attach and send by email to the MAP office and on to our marking assessors.

The MAP process is as follows:

 

Download handbook and portfolio template - MAP Handbook [PDF]

Complete the templates you wish to submit for assessment, remove the blank templates - MAP Portfolio Template [Word]

Send the completed portfolio for assessment

Portfolios are marked by a pair of assessors according to the MAP definition of scores:

MAP definition of scores [PDF]

Marked submissions are returned to candidates by email from the MAP office and will contain guidance on any changes required. A maximum of two resubmission attempts are permitted.

Once a set of criteria completes the assessment process, they will be reviewed by a Recommendation Panel. Some candidates will subsequently be invited to attend an Evaluation Panel. 

Further information about the panels may be found below and in the MAP Regulations

Once a candidate's final set of criteria has been successfully completed the assessment and review process above, the candidate will be recommended for membership.

Flow chart for Clinical governance cases [PDF]

The role of the MAP Recommendation Panel is to review all submissions that have been assessed, including all those that have reached the limit for re-submissions but have not been marked as satisfactory in all criteria. The Recommendation Panel convenes at regular intervals throughout the year. Candidates who have submitted all criteria for assessment and have reached a satisfactory standard in all criteria in the judgment of the Panel will be eligible for membership of the RCGP.

Further information about the Recommendation Panel may be found in the MAP Regulations.

Candidates whose submissions do not meet the required standard in the judgment of the MAP Recommendation Panel will be invited to attend an interview with an Evaluation Panel. These will be scheduled as necessary.

There is an additional fee of £250.00 for all candidates who attend the Evaluation Panel.

Further information about the Evaluation Panel may be found in the MAP Regulations.

Over 1350 candidates have successfully completed iMAP/MAP.

The pass rate is 95% of candidates who submit their completed portfolio.

This is the complete list of passed candidates who have gained MRCGP from iMAP/MAP

Successful iMAP/MAP candidates [.XLS]

The MAP Team

Clinical  Lead: Dr Clare Etherington

Panel Arbiter: Dr Elizabeth Nodder

35 MAP assessors: All GPs working in various working environments across the UK.

2 Lay Assessors: The role of the lay assessor is to ensure fairness and transparency in the process.

MAP Manager: Karen Bollan

MAP Officer: Gordon Wiseman

MAP Administrator: Chesnei Monrose

Contact details for the MAP team may be found at the bottom of this page.