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Indications promising for new RCSI surgical training
Friday, 31 October 2014
June Shannon
First indications suggest that the new surgical training pathway introduced by the RCSI last year in a
bid to streamline surgical training in Ireland has been successful.
Writing in the RCSI Annual Report for 2013/2014, Mr Eunan Friel, Managing Director,
Surgical Affairs at the RCSI, said the initial feedback after the first year of the new pathway
was “encouraging”.
According to Mr Friel, the vast majority, or 90 per cent, of the initial intake of trainees into the
new pathway last year have gained a place on their first choice of specialty for the second
year of their training programme.
“All the indications are that the new programme is achieving a greater alignment between
numbers starting core training and numbers that go on to specialist training,” Mr Friel wrote.
Introduced by the RCSI in July 2013, the new surgical pathway reduced the length of time it
takes to be a surgeon from nine to eight years and it also abolished two stages of Basic and
Higher Surgical Training and the traditional “gap years”.
Also writing in the annual report, the CEO of the RCSI Professor Cathal Kelly said the new
€80 million Academic Education Building, currently under construction by the medical
school, was the “largest redevelopment project in Dublin’s city centre in recent years” and
would provide “unique modern and inspiring medical sciences and surgical training facilities”.
He also said it would be “the catalyst to enhance the existing student amenities within the
entire St Stephen’s Green campus”.
In relation to finances, the annual report reveals that the overall income of the RCSI
increased by just over two per cent in 2012/13.
At the end of September 2013 the College’s income stood at €129 million compared to €126
million in 2012.