A new collaboration between RCSI and the International Medical Robotics Academy (IMRA) will provide surgical trainees access to a new online course in the foundations of robotic surgery.

Recent advancements of robotic surgery have led to the increased need to prepare surgical trainees to meet the demands of technological enhanced surgery.
The Foundations of Robotic Surgery introductory course is the first robotics course RCSI and IMRA are collaborating on and provides the foundational theory and principles required to safely perform robotic surgical procedures.

This unique course includes a linear robotic surgical training curriculum using online education, virtual reality, 3D video, simulators and advanced synthetic organ models. Surgical trainees will be equipped with the theoretical knowledge and practical working understanding of how-to setup a robot and console, the fundamentals of operating the robot, and how to achieve robotic surgical competence.

The course will also provide surgical trainees the opportunity to enhance their knowledge about the fundamental theory and principles of robotic surgery. RCSI’s collaboration with IMRA is a significant step forward in ensuring that surgical trainees are equipped with the most up-to-date skills.

Emerging technology

Professor Kevin Barry, Director of National Surgical Training Programme, RCSI Surgery, said: “This new partnership represents a very significant opportunity for our surgical trainees going forward, and will help to ensure that they are well prepared to cope with the surgical needs of our population in the years ahead.”

Mr Kieran Ryan, Managing Director, RCSI Surgery, said: “RCSI is very excited to collaborate with our colleagues in IMRA in developing this robotic assisted surgery training and education programme. The technological advances in surgical practice are accelerating and RCSI’s role is to respond by ensuring trainees are proficient and competent in the use of these new and emerging technologies.

“We have been working closely with our trainers in each specialty to understand the robotics and technological changes so that we map out the most appropriate training and educational pathways. Going forward, we will be building the training on robotic assisted surgery into the relevant parts of our training curricular and assessments of surgical training progression.”

World-leading training

Professor Tony Costello, Founder of IMRA, said: “I have had the great privilege to train a number of Irish urologists in the art of robotic surgery. I have always admired Irish surgery and in particular the talent in Irish Urology. My recent collaboration with RCSI has reinforced my belief that RCSI is the most nimble College in its ability to deal with the complexities of providing a modern surgical pedagogy. 

“As a proud Honorary Fellow of RCSI, it is wonderful now to be working in collaboration in the area of education and robotic assisted surgery. It gives me such pleasure to have teamed up with RCSI and to be launching the Foundation of RAS course developed at IMRA, which RCSI will deliver to Irish surgical trainees. This is such an important technological advancement and RCSI show great leadership in adding it to their surgical training programme. I really look forward to seeing this collaboration develop and to achieving great things together.”

Dr Helen Mohan, Director of Clinical Research of IMRA, said: “RCSI is a world leader in Surgical Training, Human Factors in Patient Safety and simulation. This exciting partnership with the International Medical Robotics Academy (IMRA) is a fantastic opportunity to future proof the surgical workforce to embrace robotic technology. As a graduate of the RCSI surgical training programme and in my current role in IMRA, it gives me particular joy to bring some of the innovative robotic training work from IMRA to benefit surgical trainees in Ireland. I'm looking forward to the growth and development of this partnership to deliver world leading robotic training."

A new podcast, Beyond the Theatre, launched today by RCSI, will address the topics that impact surgeons in practice and training.

Developed by the team in RCSI’s Department of Surgical Affairs, the podcast will reflect the complexity that surgeons and healthcare professionals experience as they navigate today’s surgical environment.

The first episode, which was released today, covers the topic of Flexible Training. The podcast is hosted by Mr Keith Synnott, a former Trauma and Orthopaedics Training Programme Director, speaking to Dr Grainne Colgan Trauma and Orthopaedics Consultant at the Mater Hospital in Dublin.

Dr Colgan trained flexibly for much of her Higher Specialist Training and holds a record for the person who spent the longest time in Higher Surgical Training. 

The podcast is a discussion on how you can train successfully and have a work-life balance by embracing the benefits of flexible training.

As an experienced Training Programme Director, Mr Synnott explores how training programmes can adapt and be flexible to support trainees on their journey to specialist registration.

To listen to our first episode, please click here.    

Beyond the Theatre Spotify.

Mr James Geraghty, Chair of the Court of Examiners, requests the pleasure of your company at the sixth annual meeting and dinners of the Ireland/UK Chapter of the RCSI Court of Examiners. 

Download meeting information here.

Applications for the 2024 PROGRESS Women in Surgery Fellowship are now open and will close on Wednesday, 30 August 2023.

The 2024 PROGRESS Women in Surgery Fellowship is a prestigious bursary awarded by RCSI to promote female participation in surgical training at fellowship level. We hope this will in turn support the acquisition of additional surgical skills and knowledge that will contribute to the advancement of surgical science and practice in the island of Ireland.

The successful candidate will be awarded a Fellowship of €45,000 for one year. She will also be awarded the RCSI PROGRESS Fellowship Medal and her name will be added to the Fellowship in Surgery board, displayed in RCSI. The Fellowship will be presented at the annual RCSI Charter Day Meeting.

Application Form 2024

For more information, please click here.

The RCSI Court of Examiners are currently looking to recruit new basic, clinical and lay examiners to join our surgical examining committee and help deliver our MRCS Part B OSCE diets in Ireland and overseas in Malaysia, Bahrain, the UAE and our newly launched centre in Egypt. 

Examiners play a key role in the progression of our surgical trainees domestically and internationally. The support of our basic, clinical, and lay examiners is integral to our ability to deliver the MRCS exams and ensuring that the surgical quality standard of our surgeons in training is assessed to the highest efficiency.

Prospective examiners can find more information such as eligibility criteria for each of our examiner vacancies on our Court of Examiners. Applications forms for each of our examiner vacancies can be seen below:

• Basic Science or Clinical Examiner – Application Form
• Lay Examiner – Application Form

In order to apply, prospective examiners will need to fill out the application form for the vacancy of your choice and send it to courtofexaminers@rcsi.ie.

The Aspire Fellowship is a 12-month program for doctors in receipt of a CSCST from an Irish Postgraduate Training Body. The Program offers exceptional individuals high-quality training and exposure to speciality training and advanced clinical skills, in addition to an SpR salary for the duration of the fellowship.

For more information, visit: https://msurgery.ie/.../aspire-post-cscst-fellowship-prgram/

The Aspire Post CSCST Fellowship Programme offers exceptional CSCST graduates the opportunity to work with a leading consultant on a 12 month tailored Fellowship Programme, which ensures fellows receive high-quality specialist and advanced clinical skills training to meet future healthcare needs.

Post CSCST Fellowships offer an alternative to trainees now that Ireland’s specialist clinical expertise and services have matured and developed. Those successful in securing a fellowship receive an SpR salary for the duration of the fellowship.

Click here for more information.

Congratulations to those who have recently been awarded their CCST in Surgery:

This year a total of 34 Trainees successfully completed training and we wish them every success in their future careers.

In the latest issue of the Affiliate Newsletter, we meet Professor Camilla Carroll, RCSI Council Member, Consultant Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgeon. Prof Carroll tells us about her role as an examiner for MRCS exams, her work with COCECSA and her role on RCSI Council.

Read the full interview here.

The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland have recently launched a brand-new MRCS Part B OSCE diet in September 2023 that will take place in Cairo, Egypt. The Part B OSCE will run on Friday, 29^th of and Saturday 30^th of September 2023.

MRCS applicants who have successfully passed MRCS Part A will now have the option to apply for our new Part B location in Egypt. Please note applications for this diet in September 2023 is now closed.

Candidates sitting the MRCS examinations with RCSI will receive exclusive access to our Affiliate Membership and 20% off PasTest Part B resources.

For any queries, please email mrcsexams@rcsi.ie or visit the Royal College of Surgeons in Irelands dedicated MRCS website.

Join us on Friday, 29 September 2023 from 2pm to 5pm for our 3^rd annual National Human Factors in Patient Safety conference.  

Bringing together a community of Human Factors in Patient Safety advocates across Ireland and abroad, don’t miss the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge and insights from human factors experts. 

This inter-professional conference will include contributions from: 

• Dr Chris Turner, Emergency Medicine Consultant at University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire 
• Professor Steven Yule, Chair of Behavioural Sciences at the University of Edinburgh 
• Professor Eva Doherty, Director of Human Factors in Patient Safety, RCSI (Chair) 

To register for the National Human Factors in Patient Safety Conference, please select the appropriate link below: 

• In-person – Registration link 
• Online – Registration link 

For more information, please visithttps://bit.ly/hfps-conference2023 or email MSchumanfactorsPS@rcsi.ie if you have any queries. 

Speaker bios 

Dr Chris Turner 
Chris is a consultant in emergency medicine He is interested in governance and highly performing teams, and this has led him on a journey from being blame and process focused to something completely different, civilitysaveslives.com, a campaign that aims to raise awareness of the impact of behaviour on performance. Over the last few years this idea has gained momentum and traction across healthcare and beyond. 

Professor Steven Yule 
Professor Steven Yule is Chair of Behavioural Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, and leader of the Edinburgh Surgical Sabermetrics Group. He is also Programme Director of the MSc in Patient Safety and Clinical Human Factors within Edinburgh Surgery Online, and Director of Non-Technical Skills at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.  

RCSI is pleased to announce the launch of our brand-new MRCS section on the RCSI website.

Our brand-new MRCS section represents our global network of aspiring surgeons ready to take the next step with RCSI. With our expanding candidate numbers and increased global reach, our new MRCS section guides users through a seamless journey with informative content and key USPs.

Whether you’re starting the process of learning about the MRCS examinations, a surgical trainee ready to book the next MRCS Part A examination, or an aspiring surgeon looking to know the benefits of sitting the MRCS with RCSI, our new MRCS section communicates value at all ends of the MRCS spectrum for prospective global candidates.

For more information, visit: https://www.rcsi.com/dublin/professional-cpd/professional-exams/surgery

Please note applications for both our MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice and Master of Surgery (MCh) by Module programmes will close in less than 1 week, on Monday, 17 July 2023.

We advise all candidates considering about applying to submit their application to either programme as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

• For more information on the MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice, click here, or email us here.
• For more information on the Master of Surgery (MCh) by Module, click here or email us here. 

We are delighted to welcome 80 new trainees starting their Surgical Training journey this July.

The 2023 Surgical Boot-camp will commence this year on the 10^th July, this is an innovative and practical programme delivered by the team at Surgical Affairs, the Simulation team and our Consultant Surgeon Trainers who every year continue to demonstrate their commitment and enthusiasm.

A new e-learning module for the five stages of safe surgery has been launched by the National Clinical Programmes for Anaesthesia, Surgery and Trauma and Orthopaedics. The module is now available on HSeLanD, the health service’s national online learning and development portal.

The new e-learning module has been developed to support the HSE National Policy and Procedure for Safe Surgery, which was updated in 2022. The policy highlights the importance of respecting the five stages of safe surgery, including the checklist process.

The module encourages all staff working within the operating department to ensure that safe surgery guidelines are followed by all team members in order to deliver safe, quality care to patients.

Professor Deborah McNamara, Vice-President, RCSI and Co-Lead for the National Clinical Programme in Surgery, said: “Ensuring that patients are safe when undergoing surgery is a priority for everyone working in operating theatre departments across Ireland. The five stages of safe surgery, built on previous work using the safe surgery checklist, creates a way for the entire multidisciplinary theatre team to work together to ensure safer care. RCSI welcome the development of this e-learning module because for the first time, we have an easily accessible educational tool suitable for use by everyone working in the operating department.” 

The module is mandatory for staff working in operating departments, including nurses, midwives, anaesthesiologists and surgeons. It module takes approximately 45 minutes to complete, is valid for two years and has been awarded 1 CPD/CEU point.

You can access the Opens in new windowHSELand e-learning programme here, as well as the Safe Surgery Policy here.

The ESVS Annual Meeting is home of best practices in the field of vascular surgery, breakthrough research, and unparalleled learning. The meeting offers extensive vascular surgery education and scientific exchange with leading experts in the field along with the opportunity to network with colleagues and peers not only from Europe but also from all over the world.

Download Flyer.

For more information, please click here. 

Enrolment for our CPD Support Scheme is now open, and will close on 29 September 2023.

This year’s programme includes new courses including ENT Skills for General Surgeons, Head and Neck Trauma Management and Advanced Cardiac Life Support. The programme also includes self-paced online courses, including Safe Clinical Handovers, Communication Skills for Video and Telephone Consultations and Medical Science for Surgery and Emergency Medicine.

This year RCSI has expanded the programme by up to 15% and will offer more than 115 courses in the National Surgical and Clinical training centre in Dublin, in new regional centres and online. Participants will be offered an expanded selection of classes in surgical skills and emergency medicine while also providing classes in clinical audit, quality improvement processes, research and ethics, IT skills, social media, personal development and a range of e-learning activities.

The full programme of courses will be launched during August 2023 and those that enrol early will have exclusive access to September 2023 CPD-SS courses.

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