Letter. Dr Launer provides significant insight into the challenges faced by doctors in his article ‘Managing the threat to reflective writing’.1 In particular, attention has been focused on the approaches to sustain reflective practice in postgraduate education.

As a junior doctor, I volunteered to become a reflective writing tutor for medical students in first year clinical training. Students were given constructive guidance for these assignments, including examples of the different models used in reflective practice; the Gibbs’ cycle (description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusions and actions) was highlighted as an exemplar framework.2 My task was then to provide feedback to students on reflective writing pieces through the year and award an overall score. But can we—or should we—grade reflective writing? . To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.