As the incoming Director of National Surgical Training Programmes, I will be responsible for the efficient and effective provision and co-ordination of postgraduate surgical training across all surgical specialties.

This role involves a high degree of interaction and collaboration with all training programme directors, trainers, HSE management and key senior stakeholders including the Medical Council and the National Doctors Training and Planning Unit. I will transition into this role during the months of September and October in order to formally commence duties on November 1^st 2021.

During my tenure of office. I will continue to devote 50 per cent of my time to clinical practice in order to maintain connectivity with the multiple issues that broadly influence surgical practice across Model 3 and Model 4 hospitals.

The role of Director provides for participation in all aspects of the interview, selection and allocation process of trainees within core and higher surgical training programmes across all surgical specialties. RCSI is committed to a significant expansion of the various surgical training programmes in order to meet future Consultant workforce requirements in both the public and private sectors over the next ten years.

My role will involve been centrally involved in the ongoing assessment of trainee performance during core and higher surgical training.

I have participated in the Intercollegiate examinations process since 2007 and will continue to do so in order to maintain my familiarity with summative assessment of our trainees as they approach the final years of training. Within the existing structures at RCSI, I will participate in all committees related to surgical training as well as representing the interests of RCSI from a training perspective on external committees at both national and international levels.

The new curriculum requirements as agreed at an Intercollegiate level with the JCST and the SAC are now operational for all surgical trainees with the exception of final year trainees. Within the structures of the new curriculum for each surgical specialty, considerable emphasis is placed on the generality of the specialty including competency in emergency surgical management. This is in line with international best practice as greater focus comes to bear on the outcomes for emergency surgery, and particularly in the context of an ageing population.

The end product of training will remain the same- the Day 1 Consultant. The high level outcomes of training that require successful achievement by all trainees and common to all surgical specialties include-

1. Managing the outpatient clinic

2. Managing the unselected emergency take 

3. Managing ward rounds and the on-going care of in-patients

4. Managing an operating list

5. Managing multi-disciplinary working

These high level outcomes are known as capabilities in practice and will be assessed within the framework of the Multiple Consultant Report (MCR). The format of the MCR will provide for a more meaningful and holistic assessment of each trainee within the clinical environment by all Consultant trainers within a designated training unit. 

Assessment in an outcomes based curriculum through the MCR therefore examines each trainee from the perspective of each of the capabilities in practice. Training is capability based with indicative times in which the majority of trainees will be expected to complete training. There is the potential also for trainees to progress faster through training if they demonstrate the necessary capabilities. In addition , the modular structures of the new curriculum will permit flexibility to respond to changing service demands within our health service in the future. The details of each specialty  curriculum are clearly presented on the Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Project website and can be accessed at www.iscp.ac.uk

Surgical Training is moving to an outcomes-based approach. Whatever your role in training either as a trainer or a trainee the changes will affect you.

The end of training will be when supervisors agree that a trainee is performing at the level of a day one consultant.  

The new surgical curriculum for August 2021

From August 2021, surgical training will become outcomes-based. Trainees will be assessed against the fundamental capabilities required of consultants. The end of training will be reached when supervisors agree that a trainee is performing at the level of a day-one consultant, successfully managing the unselected emergency take, clinics and ward care, operating lists and multi-disciplinary working while demonstrating the generic professional behaviours required of all doctors.

At the heart of these changes is the principle that the knowledge and skills essential for everyday practice should be reflected authentically in the assessment system. The existing curriculum had attracted criticism for relying too heavily on competency-based training with not enough emphasis placed on the holistic professional judgement of clinical supervisors. Because of this, we are introducing a new assessment called the Multiple Consultant Report (MCR) encompassing the new concepts of the Generic Professional Capabilities (GPCs) and Capabilities in Practice (CiPs).

This curriculum change was the result of new standards for curricula introduced by the General Medical Council (GMC); Excellence by design and the Shape of Training Review. It followed a lengthy consultation process with input from trainees and trainers and contributions from a wide range of stakeholders including NHS employers, service and education providers, patient and lay groups, statutory education bodies and experts in curriculum and assessment design. We are very grateful to everyone who has worked with us to make these improvements.

The new curricula are approved by the GMC as the UK framework for surgical training and will also be in use for specialty training in the Republic of Ireland. Training will be truly capability based and, although there will be indicative times in which the great majority of trainees will be expected to complete training, trainees will be able to progress faster through training if they demonstrate the necessary capability.

Whatever your role, trainee or trainer, the curriculum changes will affect you.

You can familiarise yourself with the MCR by downloading the step guide and using the trial MCR. You must be logged into your ISCP account to use it and any data generated through this trial process will not be saved on the ISCP system or impact trainee portfolios. Trainees may also find the general guidance on self-assessment useful before trying out the self-assessment.

How soon will Clinical Supervisors need to start the MCR after the start of the academic year?

The first MCR from August 2021 will be at the midpoint of the placement. It will need to be completed at least 2-3 weeks in advance of the midpoint learning agreement meeting.

At the beginning of the learning agreement, trainee and AES will select a Lead Clinical Supervisor for the MCR before they begin the objective setting meeting. The Lead Clinical Supervisor will be able to start the MCR as soon as the objective-setting meeting has been signed off. The MCR should be completed at least 2 weeks before the midpoint learning agreement meeting. Approximate timings for the MCR and Learning Agreement are shown below.

Key changes

The following key changes are:

• Training will be arranged in phases
• Trainees will be assessed through the MCR
• Generic Professional Capabilities will carry equal weight to CiPs
• Capabilities in Practice will indicate the end-point of training
• Supervision levels indicate when a trainee is ready to complete training
• The learning agreement will focus training on outcomes
• The role of WBAs will be re-balanced
• New transition arrangements will apply

How the new curriculum will benefit Surgical Training

The introduction of this new curriculum will benefit trainees and trainers.

The benefit for trainees is that by being assessed against the standard of a day-one consultant, they and their trainers will be able to better monitor whether they are on track to meet that standard at the end of training.

Trainees will be able to move through training at their own speed and finish early if they acquire the necessary skills faster than the indicative time.

The benefit for Clinical Supervisors will be that the multiple consultant report (MCR) will centre on their professional judgement of trainee performance based on their knowledge of working with trainees rather than on the use of checklists. Training Programme Directors and Assigned Educational Supervisors should also benefit from the information from the MCR to help them monitor trainee needs and progression and tailor the next period of training to specific areas for development identified by the MCR and self-assessment.

What is a Multiple Consultant Report (MCR)?

This is one of the key differences that will impact trainers. 

The assessment system is made up of several different types of assessment needed to meet the requirements of the curriculum;

• Workplace-based assessments
• Examinations at key stages
• The ARCP

The MCR will become the primary assessment in the workplace, which, together with the other mandatory assessments, will be used by the trainee’s Assigned Educational Supervisor to make an end of placement report, this will feed into the information presented to the ARCP.

The MCR will take place at the mid-point and end-point of each placement.

The clinical supervisors who work with trainees on a day-to-day basis will assess them against the high-level outcomes of the curriculum.

A trainer will meet with the trainee to discuss the MCR and the self-assessment and agree how to best to develop in the areas identified.

You can familiarise yourself with the MCR by downloading the step guide and using the trial MCR. You must be logged into your ISCP account to use it and any data generated through this trial process will not be saved on the ISCP system or impact trainee portfolios. Trainees may also find the general guidance on self-assessment useful before trying out the self-assessment.

How soon will Clinical Supervisors need to start the MCR after the start of the academic year?

The first MCR from August 2021 will be at the midpoint of the placement. It will need to be completed at least 2-3 weeks in advance of the midpoint learning agreement meeting.

At the beginning of the learning agreement, trainee and AES will select a Lead Clinical Supervisor for the MCR before they begin the objective setting meeting. The Lead Clinical Supervisor will be able to start the MCR as soon as the objective-setting meeting has been signed off. The MCR should be completed at least 2 weeks before the midpoint learning agreement meeting. Approximate timings for the MCR and Learning Agreement are shown below.

Further details on the MCR can be found on the ISCP Website

Training for Trainers

The College will have a training session in November, this will be advertised in advance. 

The College would welcome your feedback on the format for ongoing training programme for trainers.

If you would like to submit some suggestions on this issue please email surgicaltrainers@rcsi.ie

For further information for Trainers and a comprehensive  list of FAQs please see  ISCP FAQs

RCSI has announced that the third PROGRESS Fellowship for Women in Surgery will be supported by Olympus. The prestigious Fellowship gives female surgeons the opportunity to gain exceptional experience and exposure to their chosen field, supporting their progression to consultant.

RCSI published the ‘PROGRESS: Promoting Gender Equality in Surgery’ report in 2017, identifying the complex barriers to female progression in surgery. The report called for the provision of a fellowship for female surgeons to inspire exceptional trainees by providing the opportunity to avail of career-defining international fellowship training.

Launched in 2019, the Fellowship enhances the expertise and skill base of Irish female surgeons by supporting their opportunities to gain international exposure in their chosen fields, acquire additional surgical skills, have access to new technologies and contribute to the advancement of surgical science and practice on the island of Ireland.

Ms Ailín Rogers FRCSI received the inaugural Fellowship in robotic colorectal surgery and multivisceral resection for advanced pelvic malignancy at Royal Marsden Hospital in London. In 2021, Ms Helen Mohan FRCSI began her Fellowship in colorectal surgery at Peter MacCallum Cancer centre in Melbourne, Australia. These two Fellowships were supported by Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices.

Professor P. Ronan O’Connell, RCSI President, said: “We are delighted to welcome Olympus as a partner on the ‘PROGRESS Women in Surgery Fellowship’. Through this Fellowship, we are committed to taking the necessary steps to remove the barriers that are preventing women from progressing further in surgery, promote a better understanding of the challenges faced by women in surgery and encourage women medical graduates to strive for a career in surgery.”

Alison Harvey, Country Manager of Olympus, said: “Olympus are excited to partner with the RCSI on this fellowship and further demonstrate our commitment to improve patient outcomes through supporting the development of Irish female surgeons. By supporting the PROGRESS Women in Surgery Fellowship, Olympus will help promote gender diversity as well as provide opportunities for the recipient of this fellowship to gain essential experience at world leading institutions.”

The successful candidate will be awarded a Fellowship up to an amount of €45,000, and the RCSI PROGRESS Fellowship Medal which will be presented at the annual RCSI Charter Day Meeting.

The closing date for applications is Monday, 1 November. Further information is available here 

The School of Postgraduate Studies is now offering the opportunity to those with a record of publications in biomedical, clinical and health services research to complete a PhD by prior published works. This route allows scholars who have sufficient research experience at doctoral level, as demonstrated through already published material, to gain academic recognition for their work over a minimum registration period of one year.

Researchers who have published their own original research, which examiners deem has made a significant contribution to knowledge, can obtain a PhD award in recognition of this work when it is presented in the form of a coherent thesis and successfully assessed in a viva voce examination.

Applications will open on 1 October 2021 and close on 24 October 2021. Register Your Interest Here

To learn more about the PhD by Prior Publication offered by RCSI and to view the course information brochure Click Here

Five billion people across the world cannot access the surgery they need, with a shortage of surgeons presenting a huge barrier to increasing access to safe and timely surgery in underserved communities.

www.rcsi.com

Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Former President of Liberia and Africa’s first elected female head of state, will be presented with the Emily Winifred Dickson award at a virtual ceremony airing on Wednesday, 8 September 2021 at 2pm (Irish Standard Time) / 1pm (GMT) via the RCSI YouTube channel.

As part of the ceremony, Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf will deliver a guest address followed by a Q&A discussion with Professor Mark Shrime, O'Brien Chair of Global Surgery at the RCSI Institute of Global Surgery.

For more information and to register for this event, please use the link provided below. Register here

Have your Say!

RCSI Health Professions Education Centre (HPEC), supported by 3M, is collaborating with the Alumni Team and the Office for Research & Innovation to conduct a research study exploring your views and those of your fellow health professionals regarding future access to CPD beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The pandemic precipitated a huge shift in the manner in which CPD is delivered - from in person to online. Following this there is a need to understand the views of healthcare professionals on access to CPD going forward. Through this study, HPEC is keen to:

• Identify the range of views amongst healthcare professionals to accessing CPD post the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Identify the conditions that inform preferences for in-person CPD and online CPD;
• Identify the optimum length and type of in-person and online events, including industry and third level CPD. 

The findings will be circulated in a report to alumni as well as RCSI Senior Management. Take this short, anonymous survey by 24 September, and have your say - click here or on the image below.