2023 was a year of exciting developments for Surgeons' News, the College's quarterly membership publication. We launched the Surgeons' News Digital Hub in September, which offers our membership an enhanced experience with more varied and interactive content. We look forward to developing the Digital Hub further in 2024, with more exclusive content in the pipeline.
Reflecting on the past four editions, Surgeons' News Editor Roger Currie Commented:
It’s been a pleasure to edit Surgeons' News over the last year. I hope we have given all Fellows and Members something that is both educational and informative, but not purely about their own sphere of interest.
The College is a big organisation, and hopefully the varied and dynamic content of Surgeons' News reflects that and gives insights into the different faculties and the wider College role in many different areas.
Dental Editor Carole Boyle looked back at some of her highlights from the previous year:
I have continued to enjoy being Dental Editor this year - it is an opportunity to highlight the Dental Faculty to the wider College. Highlights for me include the profile of International Ambassadors in June – they are such a diverse group from around the world. This year, we are going to feature our UK Ambassadors so look out for that! And being wine editor gives me an excuse to buy and taste lots of wine. The sparkling wine article in December was my favourite.
Below, we outline some of our key highlights from the four 2023 editions.
March 2023
In our first edition of 2023, RCSEd Vice-President Clare McNaught joined three women from across the medical field in sharing their experiences and hopes for a more inclusive future. We also heard from the British Association of Black Surgeons about their mission to achieve diversity and inclusion in the surgical field.
RCSEd President Rowan Parks wrote his first President Writes column, reflecting on his initial months as President and outlining his commitment to 'Making it Better' for young doctors, surgeons and patients alike.
Former Faculty of Perioperative Care Lead Charles Auld was joined by RCS England Council Member and Chair of the SCP National Advisory Committee Bill Allum to outline the newly-developed SCP Curriculum and Managed Voluntary Register (MVR), a joint project between the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Surgeons of England. The project enhances the recognition, support, and career development opportunities for Surgical Care Practitioners by developing a revised and refreshed Curriculum and establishing the MVR.
The RCSEd Sustainability Champions Group discussed the intercollegiate Green Theatre Checklist, a list of recommendations to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. The checklist is divided into four sections, the first dedicated to anaesthetic care, and the subsequent three looking at preparation for surgery, intra-operative practice and post-operative measures.
June 2023
In our June issue, we highlighted the skills of the UK's dental and medical students alike, with features on our RCSEd Dentsply Sirona Dental Clinical Skills Competition and RCSEd & Medtronic Surgical Skills Competition.
Clare McNaught and Tim Graham looked back on their first six months as Vice-Presidents, giving readers a behind-the-scenes look at life as an Office Bearer for the College.
In the Dental section, RCSEd Convenor of Dental Examinations Timothy O'Brien introduced the role of dental examiner, speaking with three members of the team about their experiences.
To kickstart the new Wellbeing Column, Carole Boyle spoke with Pennie Taylor about the rise in musculoskeletal problems in dentistry, and how those in the dental field can protect themselves.
September 2023
In September's issue, we looked back on the Edinburgh Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine Conference, which brought physiotherapists, orthopaedic surgeons, general practitioners, sport and exercise medicine doctors, and wider health professionals together to network and engage with clinicians working for some of the world’s most well-renowned sports organisations.
International Development Lead for the Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care David Bruce reported on the inaugural Pre-Hospital Trauma Care courses in India, including a Chennai diet which took place in April.
In the realm of patient safety, Paediatric Surgery Registrar Sesi Hotonu looked at polypharmacy, sharing the perspectives of patients and carers. Consultant ENT Surgeon David Alderson considered how best to improve the safety and quality of care in clinical practice.
September saw Phil Taylor pass the Dental Dean helm to Grant McIntyre. Phil and Grant met up to discuss future challenges for the Dental Faculty and how to strengthen international links in a special Surgeons' News feature.
December 2023
The December issue of Surgeons' News celebrated the achievements of our International Office in Malaysia. The office commemorated its fifth anniversary in August of 2023 with five days of exciting events including a diploma ceremony, Presidents Forum and much more. Other international activity outlined in this issue include the Inaugural International Dental Clinical Skills Competition and the expansion of College activity in Nepal.
Grant McIntyre looked ahead to ambitious plans over the next three years to improve global oral health in his first column as Dean of the Dental Faculty, whilst Dental Vice-Dean Will McLaughlin was welcomed into his role with a special profile piece.
Emergency Medicine Registrar and Co-Founder of Surviving in Scrubs Chelcie Jewitt wrote a thought-provoking article on sexual misconduct, highlighting the need for swift action.
College Archivist Jacqueline Cahif explained Edinburgh's pivotal role in the training of Lilian Lindsay, the first woman to qualify as a dentist in the UK, in our regular 'From the Archives' feature.
Looking Forward
2024 is shaping up to be an interesting year for Surgeons' News, with a robotics theme in the pipeline for the March issue and much more exciting content in store for the rest of the year. We would like to extend a huge thanks to our 2023 contributors, particularly our regular writers who cover such a wide variety of subjects including topics from the archives, a look at our collections, trusted wine recommendations and much more. We hope you enjoy reading their content as much as we do!
Read current and past issues of Surgeons' News and access our Digital Hub here.