RCSI has announced the establishment of a Court of Examiners (CoE) at the College. The CoE will enable the College to acknowledge the essential role examiners play in the assessment of MRCS and FRCS candidates.

Speaking at the launch event in RCSI, Mr Declan Magee, RCSI President said: “Examiners play a vital role in assessing the knowledge, clinical skills, judgement, decision making and professional competence of Membership and Fellowship candidates. This is crucial for the College and ultimately to the well-being of patients as it ensures that the candidates are safe and competent to practise as surgeons.”

The purpose of the Court is to increase the profile of postgraduate surgical examining and to provide a forum for examiners to discuss and be involved in the future direction of Membership and Fellowship exams. Membership of the Court is open to current and potential examiners involved in MRCS or FRCS exams. 

“Recent changes to the surgical training pathway in Ireland mean that trainees are now required to successfully undertake all parts of the MRCS exam before progressing to higher training. This has resulted in an increased number of candidate applications and there is a need now for more examiners to contribute to the assessment, development and progression of surgical trainees,” Mr Magee continued. 

Court Members will be recognised by RCSI for their work by receiving Professional Competence Scheme or CME/CPD credits for both examining and attending an annual meeting. The annual Court of Examiners Meeting will keep examiners up-to-date on developments and international best practice in clinical assessment as well as providing examiners the opportunity to network with colleagues.