210 healthcare professionals were conferred with postgraduate awards at a conferring ceremony in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) yesterday evening, Monday, 1 July 2013.

Addressing the candidates at the conferring ceremony, Professor Patrick Broe, RCSI President, said: "You are the future of the Irish health service and the skills and knowledge that you have attained to date, and will no doubt be enhanced further by Fellowships abroad, will be essential to the provision of continued high quality health care services in this country in the next few decades. I congratulate you all and wish you every success in what promises to be a bright and exciting future. My personal wish for each of you here today is that in the care provided to your patients you will derive satisfaction, challenge and educational stimulation and that you will always be proud to be a member of the medical profession and of your association with this great College."

Fellowships of RCSI in Cardiothoracic Surgery; General Surgery; Neurosurgery; Ophthalmology/Ophthalmic Surgery; Oral and Maxillofacial, Otolaryngology; Paediatric, Trauma and Orthopaedic and Urology were awarded at the ceremony along with five Fellowships of RCSI Ad Eundem. Memberships of RCSI including Ophthalmology were also awarded.

Fellowships of the Faculty of Radiologists and the Faculty of Dentistry were conferred. Additionally the Faculty of Dentistry awarded three Fellowships Ad Eundem. Fellowships and Memberships of the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine were also awarded to six candidates.

Dr Brent Eastman, President of the American College of Surgeons was awarded with the Honorary Fellowship of RCSI. Honorary Fellowship of RCSI was established to award distinguished surgeons whom the College wished to honour. It was first conferred on 11 December 1784 on Robert Adair of London, Benjamin Bell of Edinburgh, and Richard Haughton of Dublin.

Since RCSI's has extended its remit beyond surgical education into the wider sphere of medical education, the criteria for Honorary Fellowship was extended to include those who have made a substantial contribution to society. The Honorary Fellowship of the College is the highest distinction and award the College can confer. Previous recipients of this award include former Presidents of Ireland, Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese; former President of the USA James Carter; the late Mother Teresa of Calcutta; noble laureate Professor Seamus Heaney and Sir Bob Geldof.