RCSI (Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland) teaching hospital, University Hospital Waterford (UHW) recently held its first awards ceremony for training interns. The inaugural Gordon Watson Intern Award was won by Dr Sean Fitzpatrick for his study on acute pancreatitis.

Dr Fitzpatrick was presented with the award by the Head of the RCSI School of Medicine, Professor Arnold Hill for his winning presentation entitled ‘Acute Pancreatitis Secondary to Non-Alcoholic Steato-Hepatitis'. This award is named after Mr Gordon Watson, a retired Consultant Surgeon and former RCSI council member, for his outstanding contribution to University Hospital Waterford and its patients. 

Originally, six interns were shortlisted to present their cases, having previously submitted abstracts to the adjudication panel, comprising Professor Arnold Hill, Head of the RCSI School of Medicine; Professor Riona Mulcahy, RCSI UHW Undergraduate Dean; Dr Rob Landers, Clinical Director of UHW; and Mr David Smyth, Consultant ENT surgeon. The event was chaired by Professor Fred Jackson, Department of Medicine, RCSI UHW; and Dr George Pope, Consultant Geriatrician at UHW. 

The Dean of the RCSI Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Professor Hannah McGee, paid tribute to Mr Watson by saying, “Senior management at RCSI are delighted to support the enthusiastic request from many of Mr Watson's colleagues in University Hospital Waterford to name this new intern prize in his honour. He is a fitting inspiration to doctors at the start of their careers to strive to achieve the best they can for their patients and for their profession.” 

Mr Watson, who attended the award ceremony with his family, thanked his colleagues for considering him for this accolade.