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Some Tips and Suggestions for Case Portfolio

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Case Portfolio Development Guidelines

These suggestions and tips are provided to assist in the formatting of your Case Portfolio. If you already have a system that has received positive critical feedback, you may continue using it; otherwise, these guidelines serve as a standard to work towards.

General Preparation1

  • Refer to the sample case portfolio on LMS as a standard for achievement.
  • Portfolios are assessed on their own merits based on the clinical information presented.
  • Review the assessment rubrics available on LMS.
  • Dedicate sufficient time to ensuring all details are accurate and professional.

Document Formatting and Organization

  • Headings and Styles: Use the “Headings and Styles” functions in Microsoft Word (e.g., 1., 1.1, 1.1.1) to automatically format content pages.
  • Headers and Footers: Add headers or footers to each page to identify the specific patient. Use section breaks to allow for different headers/footers per case.
  • Consistency: Maintain uniform terminology and formatting across all cases to demonstrate thoroughness.
    • Example: Consistently use “caries” rather than switching to “decay.”
    • Example: Use formal classifications such as the “Kennedy-Applegate Classification” for partially dentate patients.

General Suggestions and Format

Submission Requirements

  • Map out both cases with headings to create a comprehensive overview before finalizing.
  • Submit the two-case portfolio as a single PDF document.
  • Ensure the final file size is below 25Mb using compression tools.
  • Regularly backup work to OneDrive or other cloud storage.
  • Follow additional submission instructions found in the Guidelines and Protocols on LMS.

Visual Documentation

  • Arrange and date all photographic and radiographic images.
  • Use the Tables function to organize the layout of images.
  • Crop, rotate, or flip images to remove distracting elements such as lips or retractors.

Clinical Documentation and Planning

Clinical Data Collection and Reflection2

  • Identify missing clinical information or imagery required to illustrate your case, such as:
    • Clinical photos and photos of laboratory work (e.g., denture designs).
    • Radiographs (PAs).
    • Clinical charts, pulp tests, dietary analysis, or aesthetic analysis.
  • Evaluate whether detailed photos of laboratory phases are relevant to your specific case.
  • Practice clinical reflection: determine what additional information is needed to support treatment decisions. If information is missing, prepare a justification for its absence.

Academic Rationale and Literature Review

  • Understand the theory and rationale behind all treatment decisions.
  • Support your work with a wide variety of academic sources, including journals and textbooks.
  • Avoid casual or incomplete citations (e.g., do not use “lectures Loh 2019”).
  • Note that examiners have high expectations regarding your academic and theoretical knowledge, regardless of the clinical progress level of the case.

Referencing Standards

  • Use EndNote to catalogue references and ensure a consistent format.
  • Placement: Provide a reference list after each case rather than a single list at the end of the entire portfolio. This may result in duplicated references across patients but is required for clarity.
  • Style: Use the Vancouver referencing style. Refer to the UWA library guides for specific formatting rules.
  • Methodical and thorough referencing demonstrates a professional approach to information sourcing.

Footnotes

  1. Original PDF page 1: Some tips and suggestions on your case portfolio 2026, p.1 ↩

  2. Original PDF page 2: Some tips and suggestions on your case portfolio 2026, p.2 ↩

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