A Surgeon in ... St Louis

Professor Oscar Traynor

Professor Oscar Traynor inducted into American College of Surgeons Academy of Master Surgeon Educators

Professor Oscar Traynor, Professor of Postgraduate Surgical Education, RCSI has been inducted into the American College of Surgeons Academy of Master Surgeons. This honorary distinction recognises surgeon educators who have devoted their careers to surgical education and are considered leaders in their fi elds. Our congratulations to Professor Traynor on this achievement.

ROBOTIC SURGERY TRAINING BEGINS AT RCSI

Surgical teams have taken part in RCSI’s first-ever robotassisted surgery (RAS) training programmes, run in collaboration with Intuitive.

The programmes took place at the National Surgical and Clinical Skills Centre at RCSI and saw attendees, including nurses and theatre teams, experience hands-on training on the da Vinci Xi surgical system, provided by Intuitive, the pioneer of robot-assisted surgery.

The inclusion of robotic training is among several innovative initiatives being introduced within RCSI’s surgical training programme, aiming to enhance the surgical skills and competency training delivered for surgical trainees.

The training programme gave attendees the opportunity to better understand the handling, care and integration of Intuitive systems, instruments, accessories and technology.

Conferrings, July 2022

CONFERRINGS

RCSI President, Professor Laura Viani and the Fellows and Members Team were delighted to welcome 144 surgical Fellows and Members to the College in July 2022 to celebrate their achievement at our Summer Fellows, Members and Diplomates Conferring in RCSI Dublin and welcomed 139 new surgical Fellows and Members to our Winter Fellows, Members and Diplomates Conferring on Monday, 5 December 2022. We look forward to supporting our new Fellows and Members through each stage of their careers.

OPERATION CHILDLIFE CLINICAL TRAVEL FELLOWSHIP

rough the Operation Childlife Clinical Travel Fellowship, RCSI and Operation ChildLife are working together to support surgical trainees and medical professionals gain additional expertise by participating in paediatric healthcare missions, led by Irish hospital consultants, doctors and nurses who plan and deliver two-week programmes of care, with Operation Childlife in Vietnam, Tanzania, Mongolia and Jordan. More information is available from Caroline McGuinness: cmcguinness@rcsi.com

Robot-assisted surgical training.

BECOME AN MRCS EXAMINER

RCSI is currently recruiting for new clinical examiners in Ireland, Bahrain, Malaysia and UAE to examine in upcoming MRCS Part B examinations. MRCS examiners play a vital role in ensuring that all surgical trainees have the skills and knowledge to provide excellent patient care, and this is only possible with involvement from current surgical experts working in the health system. As an examiner, you will become a member of the RCSI Court of Examiners, whereby the objective is to increase the profi le of postgraduate surgical examining at RCSI and to make such examining activity more relevant and attractive to the College’s surgical community in Ireland and overseas. Eligibility criteria for clinical examiners: 1. Fellow (including Fellow ad eundem) of one of the four Royal Surgical Colleges. 2. Hold or have held full consultant status (not a locum post) for at least two years post CCT or equivalent. 3. Able to complete one term of offi ce before retirement i.e. one full term (six years including a probationary year). Two further terms of fi ve years may be approved. 4. Engaged in active clinical/ academic practice (licence to practise with the GMC). Prospective examiners looking to apply will need to complete the relevant application form and send it to courtofexaminers@rcsi.ie.

RCSI LAUNCHES NEW EDUCATION PLATFORM FOR NCHDS WITH 110 COURSES

A new CPD Hub education platform, developed to meet the challenges faced by NCHDs in modern day healthcare, includes over 110 faceto-face and online courses, focusing on both clinical and non-clinical skills. The platform will support the professional development of NCHDs in surgery, emergency medicine, and other medical specialties. For more information, contact cpdss@rcsi.ie.

RCSI and partners to develop UN Global Surgery Learning Hub

The global surgical care crisis requires action at all levels, from changes in health policymaking to the provision of infrastructure and equipment, to the expansion and the upskilling of the frontline surgical care workforce.

To date, there is no single defi nitive source for global surgery materials to support the training and education for surgeons, anaesthesia providers, obstetricians and gynaecologists and perioperative

L-R: Dr Michael Dockery, Clinical Lead for NCP in Anaesthesia; Aileen O’Brien, Nurse Lead in NCP Anaesthesia; Mr Kenneth Mealy, Co-Lead for NCPS and Past President of RCSI; and Dr Orla Healy, National Clinical Director, Quality and Patient Safety, HSE.

HSE National Policy and Procedure for Safe Surgery launched at RCSI

e HSE has launched its National Policy and Procedure for Safe Surgery. e policy endorses the principles of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist (2008) and the HSE’s Patient Safety Strategy (20192024) to ensure that all patients undergoing surgical procedures do so safely. e Policy applies to all patients undergoing surgery in Irish hospital settings and to all healthcare sta involved in the surgical patient pathway.

nurses practicing in underserved communities.

In response, the RCSI Institute of Global Surgery is partnering with the Global Surgery Foundation (GSF) and United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) to develop an open-access UN hosted Global Surgery Learning Hub that gathers and allows easy access to a wide range of trusted, quality global surgery educational resources.

Find out more from Dr Ines Peric at inesperic@rcsi.com or Eric O’Flynn at ericofl ynn@rcsi. com from the RCSI Institute of Global Surgery.

ACS Clinical Congress

e RCSI North American Chapter of Fellows Reception at the ACS Clinical Congress in San Diego, on Monday, 17 October, was a wonderful networking event with more than 50 RCSI Fellows and Members attending the Congress from Ireland and internationally. RCSI President, Professor Viani presented a beautiful sculpture to Dr Julie A. Freischlag President of the ACS, in celebration of the centenary of the original collaboration between the ACS and RCSI.

RCSI President, Professor Laura Viani with ACS President, Dr Julie A. Freischlag

TWO-IN-A-ROW – IRISH TRAINEES COMING OUT ON TOP

For two years in a row, Irish surgical trainees received the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons (BAPS) medal, by the Intercollegiate Board in Paediatric Surgery for their outstanding performance at the Intercollegiate Specialty Examination in Paediatric Surgery. is year, Danielle McLaughlin was awarded the Medal for the Examination held in Edinburgh on 9/10 March 2022. We look forward to making this medal presentation at the Fellows, Members and Diplomates Conferring ceremony this month.

In 2021, Brendan Rory O’Connor was awarded the Medal for the Examination held in Edinburgh on 22/23 September 2021. RCSI President, Professor Laura Viani presented the Medal to Brendan at the Fellows, Members and Diplomats Conferring on Monday, 4 July 2022 at RCSI Dublin. Congratulations to both recipients of this award.

Brendan Rory O’Connor and Danielle McLaughlin