The annual RCSI Charter Day Meetings began today in the college and included a keynote address from Professor George H. Meier, Chief of Vascular Surgery, Norfolk General Hospital, Virginia on the 'Future of Procedure Based Medicine'.

The Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland lecture was delivered by Professor Olle Ljungqvist, Director of Gastrointestinal Disease, Erste Hospital, Stockholm. Charter Day Meetings are held annually to commemorate the 11th of February 1784 when the RCSI was first established by royal charter by King George III. This Charter gave the College the power to control the practice of surgery and to make provision for surgical education.

Today Charter Day is a unique opportunity for the many Fellows of the College and their colleagues from the international surgical community to come together and discuss many aspects of emerging surgical techniques and research in their varying areas of expertise over the three day event.

Highlights over the coming days include the delivery of the 82nd Abraham Colles lecture on 'Surgical Biodiversity' by Professor Jeffrey Matthews on Friday at 6.30pm. RCSI Council member Professor Tom Gorey discussed the ‘Outline Proposals for Multi-Centre Clinical Research Studies’.

The President of the RCSI Professor Gerald O’Sullivan delivered his Presidential address in the College Hall on Thursday evening.

On Saturday at the annual Charter Day dinner, RCSI will bestow its highest honour on Professor Kader Asmal, Member of Parliament of the Republic of South Africa; Professor Edward Copeland, President, American College of Surgeons and Professor Tom DeMeester, Chairman of the department of Surgery, University of Southern California, by awarding them with Honorary Fellowships of RCSI.