An Coiste Feabhais Acadúil
The Committee on Academic Quality Improvement
The Academic Quality Assurance Programme 2004-2005
Report to Údarás na hOllscoile
Review of
Department of Surgery
Self-Assessment
Review Group Visit
Follow Up Meeting
Sept 2004 to Jan 2005
28th February – 1st March, 2005
19th October 2005
This Report was compiled for members of Údarás na hOllscoile, NUI Galway and its
committees as a readily accessible but comprehensive source of information on the above
review, its context and its outcomes.
Quality Office, March 2007
Report to Údarás – Review of Department of Surgery 2004–2005
1. Overview of Department
1.1 Aims an Objectives of the Department
Aims
• To establish, develop and perpetuate programmes of education, service and research for
medical students, postgraduate medical students and fully trained surgeons that will surpass
all other equivalent surgical training schemes.
• To have an excellent undergraduate teaching programme for the medical students to obtain
their Bachelor in Surgery. This includes providing teaching to the pre-clinical years to
integrate the pre-clinical subjects with clinical surgery. This also includes a detailed
programme of teaching for the clinical attachment years and the Final Medical year
Students. The teaching places a strong emphasis on clinical bedside skills.
• To provide an environment where both clinical and basic scientific research can be carried
out. In particular, the department encourages surgeons in training to undertake full-time
research to obtain a higher degree in surgery. Students are encouraged to take an elective
period in the research laboratory.
• To inculcate leadership qualities, enthusiasm and the capacity to critically evaluate new
information and the flexibility to synthesize the information into adaptations in practice.
• To train competent, safe, moral and ethical surgeons
• To deliver the highest quality of care, state of the art instruction and leadership in surgical
matters
• To recruit a faculty of excellence committed to the surgical maturation of all department
members
• To provide continuing medical education in state-of-the-art surgical care
Objectives
The plan for the department over the next 10 years is to continue undergraduate teaching while
adopting and contributing to continued reform of the medical curriculum. The department
would envisage becoming actively involved in Biomedical Engineering and also to continue to
obtain independent peer review research funding from agencies such as the Health Research
Board etc. The department is committed to achieving the following goals:
• To develop an outstanding teaching programme for students, interns and surgical trainees
• To furnish the highest quality of clinical care
• To provide training of surgeons for the practice of surgery, research and academics
• To sponsor productive and imaginative research
• To recruit and retain an excellent faculty
• To foster excellence in departmental activities
• To participate fully as a member of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, the
University and the Community
• To encourage growth and development in the major surgical disciplines
• To strengthen all surgical divisions and subdivisions
• To steadfastly maintain a tradition of ethical, competent, empathetic service, care and
teaching
• To develop a postgraduate surgical skills centre in order to provide top quality surgical
training
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Report to Údarás – Review of Department of Surgery 2004–2005
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To integrate surgical education into the pre-clinical and clinical undergraduate curriculum
To develop research streams which complement the research strategy of NUI Galway
To establish self-supporting sub-specialty clinical areas
To help develop multi-disciplinary cancer care
To lead clinical, research and education within the medical faculty
To develop a coherent strategy for staff development and promotion
To develop independent research income/support
To allow junior surgeons at all levels to be research active
To foster academic productivity and interest among permanent staff
1.2 Background
Part of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, the Department of Surgery is difficult to
define as it is multi-faceted and based on more than one site. In addition to its core academic
staff, the Department depends on the specialist surgical staff of University College Hospital
Galway, Merlin Park Hospital and the staff of affiliated hospitals such as Mayo General
Hospital, for practical surgical instruction. The Review Process, therefore, distinguished
between the core University Department and the wider department of surgical specialists in
general surgery, orthopaedics, urology, breast, vascular, accident and emergency, plastic
surgery, in the aforementioned hospitals.
The Department had just gone through an inter regnum between Professor Given leaving
and Professor Kerin taking up his post six months before the Review Visit.
1.3 Student numbers
The number of fulltime equivalent (FTE) students in the Department (defined as Surgery
including Anaesthesia, Ophthalmology and Radiology) was 130 in the year 2002/03,
representing an increase of 96% in the three years since 1999–00. However, the method used to
estimate student FTEs in the Faculty up until the time of the Review was less accurate than for
other faculties.
1.4 Staff to Student ratio
In 2002–03, the number of fulltime equivalent (FTE) academic staff in the Department (defined
as above) was 3.4, giving a student: staff ratio of 22 in year ending 2003. Again the ability of
these figures to reflect actual human resources available may be less than for other faculties.
Since the arrival of the new professor, a new senior lecturer in Surgery has been appointed. In
addition, the professorship in anaesthesia has been filled, and new senior lecturer posts created
in ENT, ophthalmology and orthopaedics.
1.5 Accommodation and Facilities
The offices for key staff and the central laboratory facilities are located in the Clinical Science
Institute.
2. Review Group Visit and Report
The review team consisted of: Professor David George, Regis Professor of Surgery, University of Glasgow
(Chairperson); Dr Ruth Barrington, Chief Executive Health Research Board-An Bord Taighde Sláinte; Professor
Gerald O’Sullivan, Professor of Surgery, Mercy Hospital, Cork; Professor Gerard Loftus, Department of
Paediatrics, NUI Galway; and Seosamh Mac Donnacha, Comhordaitheoir Acadúil, Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta
Gaeilge, NUI Galway acting as Rapporteur.
2.1 Summary, and Main Recommendations from Report
The Review Group deemed the Department of Surgery to be making a considerable contribution
to the University through its teaching and research activities. As it was under new leadership at
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Report to Údarás – Review of Department of Surgery 2004–2005
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the time of the review, the Department was going through a process of development that should
involve both the development of a strategy and vision for the future and the development of an
organizational structure having the capacity to deliver on that strategy and vision. The Review
Group anticipated that their comments and recommendations would provide a useful
contribution to that process. The Review Group praised the enthusiasm shown by the staff with
which they met and their commitment to achieving their vision of having a world class
department of surgery.
The following recommendations were made by the Review Group:
a) That the Department’s vision and development strategy be formalised into a five year plan
that would be more explicitly linked with the aims and objectives of the Faculty of Medicine
and Health Sciences and the University, and would outline how the Department plans to
deliver on its teaching and research aims and objectives.
b) That an Academic Committee be established, comprising the academic leaders in the
various disciplines within the Department, and that this committee would have a key role in
setting the quality agenda for teaching and encourage the development of medical education
and education research as an area of expertise in its own right within the Department.
c) That the Faculty and the University formalise the arrangements for clinical teaching
commitments of clinical/consultant staff in the teaching hospitals, with hospital
management/HSE.
d) That a more structured and managed approach to the delivery of the Department’s teaching
activities be adopted, with a view to enhancing the overall student experience.
e) That a surgical research committee be established to facilitate and stimulate areas of
research in common across the disciplines.
3. Action Plans
Follow up Meeting
9.30 a.m. Wednesday 19h October 2005
Office of Dean of Medicine and Health Sciences, Clinical Science Institute
Present: Professor J Browne – Registrar, Professor J Gosling – Director of Quality (Chair), Dr. PA Carney Dean of Medicine & Health Sciences, Professor BG Loftus – Review Group Cognate, Mr Seosamh MacDonnacha
– Review Group Rapporteur, Dr Iain MacLabhrainn – Director of CELT, Dr Maura Hiney – Research Office,
Professor M Kerin – Head of Department, Mr B Barry, Ms G Clarke, Ms C Curran, Ms E Hennessy, Mr J McCann,
Mr M Mahendran, Mr A Martin, Mr J O’Donnell, Mr P Regan, Mr J Connelly.
3.1 Action Plan for the Department:
a) The Department will develop a short but comprehensive strategic plan with a view to
completing it by the end of June 2006.
b) The Department will establish formally a fully representative and inclusive ‘Academic
Departmental Management Committee’ that will meet at least quarterly. For each meeting
minutes will be taken, circulated, revised and approved.
c) The Department has produced a log-book for final year medical students that has met with
the general approval of students and staff. The log-book defines clearly the syllabus,
outlines core topics and indicates objectives, tasks and deadlines.
d) Final Medical students now spend eight to twelve weeks on their Surgery attachment.
e) The Department is working with CELT to create opportunities for academic staff to improve
and acquire a diverse range of standard and clinical teaching skills.
f) The above supports will include training on student grading, which will be done in the
context of the whole clinical stage of the medical programme.
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Report to Údarás – Review of Department of Surgery 2004–2005
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g) The Head of Department, in consultation with the Dean and before 31 January 2006, has
developed proposals for the filling of vacant academic posts. This process is continuing in
line with the academic development of the Department and its constituent specialities.
h) The Department is very actively building its research capacity and potential for increased
outputs of international standard. External collaborations will be given a high priority and
close cooperation with REMEDI is already established. However, the limited research
laboratory facilities available are a major block to significant expansion.
3.2 Action Plan for University Management:
a) The Registrar and Deputy President, and the Dean recognise clearly that the Irish system for
undergraduate medical training is operating on the goodwill of the medical profession. This
is not sustainable in maintaining the high standard of education that medical students
currently receive and cannot survive anticipated levels of expansion. Until fundamental
reform and increased budgets are achieved at the national level:
i)
The Registrar and Dean will act to formalise as soon as possible connections with
the HSE at a management level.
ii)
The University and the Faculty will continue to advocate protected
teaching/research time for consultant clinical staff in the Galway and affiliated
hospitals.
b) Opportunities and resources for new academic posts could arise from anticipated
developments in medical education. Since the Review Visit there have been new
appointments within the Department:
i)
Senior Lecturer, Director of Laboratory Research and three Post Doctorial posts.
ii)
There is a new Registrar post who also lectures and two appointments within
Breast Check, who contribute to two academic sessions. These appointments are
at no cost to the University.
c) The University and Faculty are proceeding with the development of ways in which the
substantial contributions of many health professional to the teaching activities of the Faculty
can be recognised:
i)
The Faculty established the Recognising Professional Contributions Working
Group in Spring 2004.
ii)
The first report of the RCPCWG ‘Academic Appointments and Promotional
Opportunities for Medical Consultants’ was adopted by Faculty at its April
meeting 2005.
iii) An Implementation Group for this Report has been activated.
d) The Registrar and the Dean acknowledge that the Department’s continued development is
limited by the restricted research space available in the Clinical Science Institute building
and are working to identify funds to support construction of a CSI-2.
Approved by: Head of Department, Professor M Kerin, 3 May 2006
Approved by: Dean of Medicine & Health Sciences, Dr P A Carney, 10 May 2006
Approved by: Registrar, Professor J Browne, 19 May 2006
Approved by: Vice-President for Research, Professor N Canny, 8 June 2006
Approved by: Director of CELT, Dr I MacLabhrainn, 10 May 2006
Finalised: 8 June 2006, Jim Gosling, Director of Quality
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