RCSI has announced that the third PROGRESS Fellowship for Women in Surgery will be supported by Olympus. The prestigious Fellowship gives female surgeons the opportunity to gain exceptional experience and exposure to their chosen field, supporting their progression to consultant.

RCSI published the PROGRESS: Promoting Gender Equality in Surgery report in 2017, identifying the complex barriers to female progression in surgery. The report called for the provision of a fellowship for female surgeons to inspire exceptional trainees by providing the opportunity to avail of career-defining international fellowship training.

Launched in 2019, the Fellowship enhances the expertise and skill base of Irish female surgeons by supporting their opportunities to gain international exposure in their chosen fields, acquire additional surgical skills, have access to new technologies and contribute to the advancement of surgical science and practice on the island of Ireland.

Ms Ailín Rogers FRCSI received the inaugural Fellowship in robotic colorectal surgery and multivisceral resection for advanced pelvic malignancy at Royal Marsden Hospital in London. In 2021, Ms Helen Mohan FRCSI began her Fellowship in colorectal surgery at Peter MacCallum Cancer centre in Melbourne, Australia. These two Fellowships were supported by Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices.

Professor P. Ronan O'Connell, RCSI President, said: "We are delighted to welcome Olympus as a partner on the PROGRESS Women in Surgery Fellowship. Through this Fellowship, we are committed to taking the necessary steps to remove the barriers that are preventing women from progressing further in surgery, promote a better understanding of the challenges faced by women in surgery and encourage women medical graduates to strive for a career in surgery."

Alison Harvey, Country Manager of Olympus, said: "Olympus are excited to partner with the RCSI on this Fellowship and further demonstrate our commitment to improve patient outcomes through supporting the development of Irish female surgeons. By supporting the PROGRESS Women in Surgery Fellowship, Olympus will help promote gender diversity as well as provide opportunities for the recipient of this fellowship to gain essential experience at world leading institutions."

The successful candidate will be awarded a Fellowship up to an amount of €45,000, and the RCSI PROGRESS Fellowship Medal which will be presented at the annual RCSI Charter Day Meeting.

The closing date for applications is Monday, 1 November. Further information is available here.