4 July
4 July 2024
This month I am pleased to share news of recent celebrations, to highlight the issue of surgeon wellbeing and to provide insight about how RCSI is supporting regionalised training.
Celebrating our new Fellows
In last month’s Surgical Bulletin, I mentioned the inaugural President’s Reception that was held for our newly conferred Fellows alongside their families, friends and guests on the day of their Fellowship Conferring in July.
The event provided an opportunity to recognise our new Fellows, who have persevered through many years of hard work and sacrifice to complete surgical training. It also afforded a chance for the college to reaffirm our support for our younger surgeons as they prepare to take the next steps in their career – whether an international Fellowship or as a consultant surgeon.
The President’s Reception is the latest addition to our programme of support and engagement, specific to early-career surgeons, which will be revamped over coming weeks and months.
Supporting the wellbeing of our surgical community
In July, I represented RCSI at the Council Meeting of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges of the UK and Ireland. During the meeting we heard from the charitable body Doctors in Distress, regarding the very substantial challenges faced by medical practitioners throughout the UK and Ireland. The research presented included the shocking statistic that in the UK, a doctor dies by suicide once every three weeks.
The statistics are a stark reminder that it is more important than ever that we support the wellbeing of our trainees, trainers and practicing surgeons. In this context, we are reviewing and highlighting the supports already available and will provide opportunities to explore areas where we can do more.
As part of the forthcoming Millin Meeting on Friday, 8 November, Professor Killian Walsh, RCSI Council Member, will speak about the impact of adverse events on surgical trainers in his talk on the ‘Second Victim’ during a session hosted by the incoming Chair of the Faculty of Surgical Trainers, Professor Carmel Malone, RCSI Council Member.
On the same day, we will launch our new RCSI Early Surgical Career Network, which is a pan-specialty peer support community for surgeons completing training or on fellowship as well as for those who have recently started practice as a consultant surgeon. The network will create a peer support community, provide networking opportunities, and enable early career surgeons to get involved with the RCSI surgical community as well as providing practical information and resources.
The opportunity to connect with colleagues informally is an integral part of professional wellbeing, so we have added a Fellows and Members Networking Breakfast on the morning of the Millin Meeting. Providing a chance to beat the city centre traffic while also getting to meet with other surgeons, Fellows and Members will be invited to register their attendance shortly.
More details on the Millin Meeting, including the final programme, will follow in September. For now, please spread the word that applications to deliver the annual Millin Lecture are now open.
Regionalising training
The final report of the National Taskforce on the NCHD Workforce, published in February 2024, highlighted a number of areas for improvement in training. Specific recommendations were made in relation to the provision of high-quality learning supports alongside a more regionalised approach, that allows postgraduate trainees to remain in the same geographic area for more of their training.
RCSI’s team in Surgical Affairs, led by Kieran Ryan with his colleagues Padraig Kelly and Caroline McGuinness, have been at the forefront in supporting surgical training and education across Ireland. Their efforts continue to go from strength to strength as evidenced by the recent launch of the 2024/25 Continuous Professional Development Support Scheme (CPD-SS), which has grown to become the largest medical CPD programme in the country with over 120 courses.
These courses are offered not only from our simulation centre in St Stephen’s Green but now are also available in a number of approved regional centres to increase access to NCHDs across the country. This has been aided by the Surgical Affairs team securing a major investment of over €700k from the HSE’s National Doctors Training and Planning unit for the development and expansion of training facilities nationally.
The increased regionalisation of some elements of core training will allow surgical NCHDs to participate in surgical simulation training activities closer to home. We soon plan to do the same in a number of approved international centres.
Participants will be offered an expanded selection of classes in surgical skills and emergency medicine while also providing classes in clinical audit, quality improvement processes, research and ethics, IT skills, social media, personal development and a range of e-learning activities. The full programme of courses will be launched during August 2024 and those who enrol early will have exclusive access to CPD-SS courses beginning in September.
Enjoying the summer months
I am mindful that while many professions can avail of downtime during the summer, this is not always the case for the surgical community practising in Ireland. July is always a busy month clinically and many of you will also have said goodbye to familiar teams while welcoming new interns and surgical trainees.
All of this occurs at a time of year when most are trying to manage competing demands of work and the need for well-deserved annual leave as well as many who are also juggling parental commitments during the school holidays.
Despite these many demands, I do encourage you all to avail of some well-deserved time off and, for those new consultants, enjoy reaching the milestone summer when you must no longer move to a new rotation!
Yours sincerely,
Professor Deborah McNamara
RCSI President