RCSI welcomed 519 healthcare professionals into its global community of Fellows and Members during a conferring ceremony held yesterday at the College’s St Stephen’s Green campus.

In surgery, the awards conferred included Fellowship of RCSI (JSCFE; encompassing Cardiothoracic, General Surgery, Opthamology, Otolaryngology, Plastic Surgery, Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Urology and Vascular Surgery), Membership of RCSI (including ENT) and the RCSI-Vhi Fellowship in Urgent Care Medicine.

These professionals join RCSI’s global professional network of more than 11,000 surgical Fellows and Members advancing excellence in surgical practice across 86 countries.

Fellowships and Memberships were also conferred by the Faculties of Radiologists and Radiation Oncologists, Dentistry, Nursing and Midwifery, and Sports and Exercise Medicine, alongside diplomas in Primary Care Dentistry.

The new Fellows and Members were admitted by RCSI President, Professor Deborah McNamara. Addressing the candidates, she said: “Throughout our 240-year history, RCSI Fellows, Members and Diplomates have a proud legacy of healthcare service and innovation across the world. Each of you has the potential to make a difference in the lives of many individuals as well as society at large.”

A highlight of the event was the awarding of an Honorary Fellowship of RCSI to Sr Orla Treacy, Director of the Loreto Mission in Rumbek, South Sudan. The Honorary Fellowship, RCSI’s highest distinction, recognises outstanding achievement in surgery and in other areas.

Delivering the citation, Mr Keith Synnott, RCSI Council Member, commended Sr Treacy’s remarkable commitment to education and equality. Under her leadership, over 500 young women have graduated from Loreto Rumbek with many continuing to university, fostering brighter futures and driving change in a region where many women faced significant challenges in accessing education and pursing their ambitions.

A recording of the ceremony will be available on the RCSI YouTube channel.