Dear Trainee,

Many of you will have received my recent letter to Fellows and Members, however I felt the need to write individually to all RCSI trainees on CST and HST programmes

Dear Trainees,

As we approach the halfway mark for the academic year, I would like to provide an update of the activities of the ISTG committee to date and outline our plans for the year ahead.

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.

The Intercollegiate Committee for Basic Surgical Examinations (ICBSE) and the four Surgical Royal Colleges of the United Kingdom and in Ireland can now confirm the MRCS exam schedule for 2022.

I commenced as chairperson of the CST Committee in January 2020. Professor Fergal Quinn completed this 3-year tenure prior to that.

The annual recruitment for Core Surgical Training (CST) is currently underway.

Submissions are sought from interested candidates who wish to undertake a Doctorate of Medicine (MD) Degree through the Strategic Academic Recruitment (StAR) Programme.

The interview is a key element in the recruitment process for both Core and Higher Specialist Training.

The new Surgical Curriculum was launched in August 2021. This is a significant change in how surgical training is delivered in Ireland.

The RCSI and the HSE have introduced a number of initiatives to support those who choose to train flexibly for a period of time.

Surgical Training can be expensive time in your career with the need to complete exams and undertake courses. It is important that all trainees are aware of the financial supports that are available to them.

The Spark Ignite 2022 competition which is run by the HSE NDTP will open for applications in February 2022.

The Irish Surgical Research Collaborative (ISRC) have worked together with RCSI developers to design a new website which was launched this week.