We continually work to add more self-paced courses that you can complete easily at a time that suits you. Please see our list of these courses below:

* Not covered by the CPD voucher

For further queries please do not hesitate to contact us at cpdss@rcsi.ie  

Best Wishes, 

RCSI CPD Team 

Note: Candidates should have previously completed an Advanced Trauma Life Support Course (ATLS) and/or Advanced Cardiac Life Support course or equivalent(s).

As our population’s overall life expectancy continues to increase, the complexity of acute hospital presentations requiring early intervention by senior clinical makers is paramount. Patients and their relatives rightfully have high expectations of a clinician’s ability to make pressurised decisions often with limited or sub-optimal information regarding time dependent care. Conventional didactic emergency medicine teaching often involves algorithmic approaches to acute presentations: we give blood to the bleeding patient, we shock a shockable arrhythmia. Through experience however we learn that the same algorithms may not always applicable to different patients, despite similar clinical problems.

This experiential course is delivered in the state-of-the-art simulation suite of RCSI. It will introduce you to immersive learning via simulation through a variety of different challenging resuscitation scenarios in adult patients. You will have an opportunity to engage as a resuscitation team member and/or a team leader. The scenarios are deliberately designed to pose clinical dilemmas for a team to work through. You will learn to use a systematic approach to manage and to communicate regarding an array of critically unwell patients. Structured debriefing and interactive discussion follow each scenario.

Suitable for: SHOs and registrars who work in emergency departments and are involved in resuscitation

Topics covered include:

• Acute airway compromise and respiratory failure
• Acute coronary syndrome and cardiac arrest
• The unstable trauma patient
• Acute abdomen and shock

Learning outcomes

• Participate and engage as a resuscitation team leader and team member
• Develop and practice communication strategies with a team under high pressure
• Apply the basic principles of cardiac arrest management
• Apply the basic principles of primary survey assessment and management
• Develop a strategy for managing a difficult colleague
• Reflect on the complex decision process in setting ceilings of care.

To register, please click here. 

We are delighted to announce that we are providing surgical NCHDs with access to the RCSI Logbook.  

This service is available free of charge to Surgical NCHDs registered on our CPD Support Scheme. It is completely voluntary for you to use this, but this logbook has been specifically designed by RCSI to support those who wish to build their surgical careers. It is part of our commitment to support all who work in the provision of surgical care to patients in Ireland.  

Access to the RCSI Logbook will provide an opportunity for those in non-training places to use the same electronic logbook as is being used by trainees in our core and higher surgical training programmes. Our logbook is familiar to all our consultant trainers and supervisors which gives us the opportunity to have our logbook records validated. Your data will be stored securely by RCSI, backed up, and protected against loss 

 Our dedicated team will happily provide support via our email nchdlogbook@rcsi.com  

We hope you will avail of the logbook and enjoy an Irish focused, easy to use, mobile first secure experience.  

Finally, it is mandatory to hold an active RCSI email account (@rcsi.com) or a Google email account (@gmail.com) to successfully register for the RCSI Logbook.  Please sign here to request access to the RCSI Logbook.  

RCSI’s Fellows and Members Office are delighted to confirm that, as you are enrolled on the Continuous Professional Development Support Scheme (CPD-SS) with RCSI you are entitled to free access to Affiliate Membership of RCSI. We would like to warmly welcome you as an Affiliate Member of RCSI.

Affiliate Membership gives you access to a range of resources designed to help you prepare for MRCS Part A and B examinations and support your overall career progression by becoming part of an international network of over 11,000 surgeons and aspiring surgeons.

The Fellows and Members Office launched our new RCSI Affiliate Member Portal for our Affiliate Members, giving exclusive access to a range of ‘member-only’ exams and career supports which cover your personal, practical, academic and professional development needs. These valuable resources are exclusive to Affiliate Members and include: 

• RCSI Support: Supports and information about the pathway to a career in surgery, and surgical practice resources,
• MRCS Exam Preparation Resources: RCSI has prepared an extensive suite of resources to designed to support Affiliates preparing for the MRCS examinations, including access to SurgiQuiz, regular exam preparation tips and updated resources,
• Surgical Skills and Science: Affiliate Members have the opportunity to improve their surgical skills and scientific knowledge by accessing pre-operative patient assessment and post-operative care guides and cutting-edge 360-degree videos,
• Surgical Anatomy Software and Guides: Access to RCSI Surgical Anatomy guides and dissection guides which are designed to support your preparation for MRCS examination and improve your clinical knowledge,
• Library and Study Resources: Access to a curated collection of resources in the field of surgery, such as Annals of Surgery, as well as information on an exclusive 20% discount from Cambridge University Press,
• Online Courses: We have also provided access to online courses designed to prepare you for MRCS Part A and B and enhance your clinical practice,
• Career Development: Opportunities to help grow your surgical career and develop your portfolio, including CPD and volunteering opportunities, links to our online LinkedIn community, and upcoming events, and
• Surgical News: The portal hosts the latest updates from RCSI’s President as well as the latest Affiliate Member Newsletters and Fellow and Member publications, including Surgeons Scope. Our next RCSI Affiliate Member Newsletter will be sent in December 2023.

An email with details on how you can access the Affiliate Members portal will follow. 

Our Continuous Professional Development Support Scheme brochure for 2023/24 is now available to view and download.

This years programme consists of over 115 full-day and half-day courses delivered online, face-to-face and in regional centres.

Download brochure here. 

For more information, please visit www.rcsi.com/cpdss 

Please be aware that the Training Support Scheme, managed by HSE, has increased the funding for non-consultant health doctors working full-time by €500 increasing from €1,250 to €1,750

CPD Support Scheme courses are accredited for TSS reimbursement (subject to approval). For more information, please click here to download the guidance document recently released by the HSE.

*TSS funding is provided on a “training year” basis. The definition of a “training year” is the second Monday in July until the second Monday in July of the following year.

Register your interest today for our flexible and inter-professional postgraduate academic programmes in surgery and emergency medicine. Our postgraduate programmes include: 

• Online PG Diploma/MSc in Human Factors in Patient Safety
• MSc. in Advanced Clinical Practice
• Master of Surgery (MCh) by Module (part-time and full-time)

To register your interest, please click here. 

RCSI is pleased to announce that episode 3 of our brand-new Safe & Sound podcast with Professor Stephen Yule, Chair of Behavioural Sciences, University of Edinburgh is now available to listen to on Spotify and Apple podcasts.

To listen, please see below:

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0Zys1Mbf7FojYB4qdFwVPw

Apple Podcasts:

https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/rcsi-safe-and-sound-podcast/id1712276119?i=1000635460866

The National Clinical Programme in Surgery (NCPS), a collaboration between the HSE and RCSI, today launched a model of care for vascular surgery. This document outlines the service needs of the population for vascular surgery services and defines a model of care delivery that is accessible, timely and of high quality.

In developing this model of care, the complexity and multisystem nature of vascular disease and the necessity for multidisciplinary specialist input in the care of this cohort of patients were highlighted. The burden of vascular disease experienced by patients with diabetes was specifically addressed and is an area of increasing importance given our aging population.

This model of care sets out recommendations to enable delivery of services of the highest quality over the next 5-10 years. These include the resourcing of centralised services both in terms of staffing and facilities. Key to workforce expansion is the development of new nursing roles with specialist training and an extended scope of practice.

The model of care highlights the importance of establishing a National Vascular Registry to monitor and improve the quality of services and to record all implants. The document also advocates for a national screening programme for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in line with the UK and most European nations.

Finally, some of the preventative measures that people can take to promote their vascular health such as smoking cessation, exercise and weight control are outlined.

“Launching this model of care is a milestone for vascular surgery. The Irish Vascular surgeons are very keen to proceed with the implementation of these recommendations. The NCPS is very grateful to all those who contributed to this work and in particular to the Irish Vascular Society.”  Mr Martin Feeley, National Clinical Advisor for Vascular Surgery, (NCPS).

“We are delighted to introduce the Vascular Surgery Model of Care which represents our commitment to delivering better care for patients in Ireland”. Ms Mary Barry – Chair of the Irish Vascular Society.

The model of care can be downloaded from publications section at:

https://www.rcsi.com/surgery/practice/national-clinical-programmes/surgery

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to confirm that the 10^th Annual University Hospital Waterford Research Meeting will take place on Friday 19^th January 2024 in the Elva Theatre, HSE / RCSI Education Facility, University Hospital Waterford. The meeting will be in person. This forum is open to all including clinicians, the nursing profession, the professions allied to medicine, biomedical scientists and anyone involved in healthcare improvement. Presentations may be given by doctors, by the nursing profession and professions allied to medicine and scientists with varying levels of experience in addition to anyone working in healthcare. The purpose of the meeting is to allow demonstration of the varying areas of research endeavour that are available for further development in the South East. There will be live prize oral presentations and poster presentations with a prize being awarded for the best presentation in each category. The closing date for submission of abstracts is Thursday 7^th December 2023. Please see attached poster for further information.

We therefore look forward to the support of all clinicians, scientists, nursing personnel and professions aligned to healthcare in helping to make the 10^th Annual University Hospital Waterford Research Meeting on Friday 19^th January 2024 a success. Further information regarding this meeting can be obtained from Ms. Jennie O’Leary, Postgraduate Surgical Administrator, University Hospital Waterford on 051 842684 or by email at jennie.oleary@hse.ie.

Download flyer.

Abstract guildelines.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Peter M. Neary MB, MScLHPE, MA, MD, FRCS(Colorectal)

Inaugural Professor and Chair of Surgical Oncology

Academic Head of Department

Consultant General & Colorectal Surgeon

University Hospital Waterford/University College Cork

The HSE National Genetics and Genomics Office (NGGO) in partnership with the RCSI and Mater Misericordiae University Hospital (MMUH) are developing a series of online education modules  entitled” Fundamentals of Genetic Testing”.  These will be complimented by a number of webinar Masterclasses organised by the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) and together will support the implementation of the National Strategy for Accelerating Genetic and Genomic Medicine in Ireland

Our genes hold powerful information that can be used to diagnose conditions, guide more effective treatments, predict our risk for disease and collectively help improve patient outcomes and overall population health and wellbeing.

Genomic medicine harnesses this power and is enabling a paradigm shift from a disease-oriented ‘one-size-fits-all’ healthcare approach to one that is more personalised, predictive, preventative, data-driven, and cost-effective.

To date, Ireland has made some progress in developing its genetic and genomic services, with examples of excellence evident throughout the country. However, to fully realise the benefits of genetics and genomics, there is an urgent need to mainstream them so that they can become an integral part of our routine care delivery. The new National Strategy sets out the steps to achieve this and these webinar series is an important first step in mainstreaming genetics and genomics into the Irish Health System.

This RCSI/ MMUH education series is primarily focused towards improving the basic understanding of genomics within the clinical community and the upskilling of non-specialist healthcare professionals around the practice of genetic testing. It is open to all healthcare professionals who may have an interest in this area now or in the future, this includes Doctors, Nurses, Medical Scientists, Researchers.

The following modules are now free to access by Healthcare Professionals

Module 1: From bases to genomes – what I need to know

Module 2: How genetic variation arises from cell division

To register, please click here.

1 CPD credit for completion of this online module