We were delighted to present Honorary Secretary of the FST Committee Shireen McKenzie with a Diploma for Fellowship of the Faculty at a recent Diploma Ceremony. Here, Shireen reflects on the ceremony, sharing some highlights from the day.
The RCSEd diploma ceremonies are a time to celebrate the effort and sacrifices made to enter the College as a Member or a Fellow for many, witnessed by friends and family who have often supported them on the journey.
The March ceremony was special on many levels. A husband and wife both received their membership at the same time along with their son, who was extremely proud to be allowed onto the stage to collect the Diploma with his parents. But in the week of International Women’s Day, we also celebrated not only the two Fellows awarded with Fellowship of the FST both being female (myself and Claire Murphy), but former RCSEd Council Member Professor Janet Wilson receiving the College Medal for a lifetime of high quality research and dedication to clinical practice in the field of ENT surgery. Tari Lang, a board member of the Fringe Festival and Chair of The Royal Lyceum Theatre (London), was also admitted to the position of College Regent.
Both were acknowledged and awarded during the ceremony by Professor Rowan Parks, President of RCSEd, who talked about the changes in the membership of the College over the years, from initially being all male to us being part of a ceremony where around 40% of the diplomates were female. It was an honour to be in the presence of these trailblazers in both the surgical and business worlds, but also the younger diplomates of all colours, creeds and religions, who are the future of surgery not just in the UK, but internationally.
With a thought-provoking speech from the President, the ceremony allowed time to reflect, in these incredibly challenging times, on why we do what we do and, despite some of the current difficulties, the joy it can still bring on a regular basis.
Find out more about the Faculty of Surgical Trainers here.