Tánaiste Mary Harney launches the world’s first dedicated mobile surgical skills training unit at RCSI.

Developed as part of the RCSI FIRST (Fellows Initiative on Regional Surgical Training) Programme, this mobile unit has the unique ability to move around the country facilitating surgical training for trainees in their own hospitals.

Built to accommodate 10 surgical trainees this unit will facilitate the delivery of surgical training to world-class standards. The innovative unit will be equipped with the latest surgical training technology such as high tech virtual reality surgical simulators. The incorporation of a satellite dish in the mobile unit will allow live link-ups with the RCSI campus in Dublin and operating theatres around the world.

The RCSI FIRST programme represents yet another milestone in the College’s commitment to excellence in surgical training. It follows the success of the world’s first on line Basic Surgical Training programme (BeST) and award winning SCHOOL for Surgeons both recently developed by the College.

Prior to the development of the mobile surgical skills training unit all trainees attended the RCSI National Surgical Training Centre (NSTC) six days a year. Based at the RCSI Dublin campus the NSTC also provides advanced surgical skills training using models and high-tech virtual reality simulators.

Commenting on the new development, Director of the NSTC at RCSI, Professor Oscar Traynor, said: “This is a first for RCSI in every sense of the word. This is the first dedicated mobile surgical skills training unit anywhere in the world. It is part of our strategy to bring training to the trainees. Obviously, it makes sense to bring training opportunities to where the trainees are, rather than the other way around. The mobile surgical skills training unit will allow trainees to have high quality surgical skills training as close as possible to their own place of work, delivered by Faculty of the College as well as their own local trainers”.

The mobile surgical skills unit made its first regional visit earlier this month when it arrived in Cork University Hospital (CUH) on 16 January. During the initial six months of 2006 the unit will also travel to the RCSI’s major training centres in Galway, Limerick and Waterford and will be extended to other regional RCSI teaching hospitals in September 2006.