The Joint Committee on Intercollegiate Examinations (JCIE) was established in 1987 by the four surgical Royal Colleges of Great Britain and Ireland. In line with the statutory requirements of the General Medical Council, it is responsible for the supervision of standards, policies, regulations and professional conduct of the surgical Specialty Fellowship Examinations. The JCIE is the parent body for its ten surgical Specialty Boards.
The JCIE is made up of surgeons, including the Presidents of the four Colleges or their representatives, the Chairs of the 10 Intercollegiate Specialty Boards and representatives of national surgical trainees and staff grade surgeons not in training. It meets three times a year, in Edinburgh, where the JCIE staff team is based.
The role of the lay member of the JCIE is to represent the views and interests of a surgical patient, particularly in respect of ensuring that patient safety is at the heart of the Committee’s deliberations and decision-making.
As well as attending meetings of the JCIE, the lay member is required to contribute to the Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) Committee (a sub-committee of JCIE). The business of this committee is covered within the agenda of the three JCIE meetings over the year. The lay member is also involved in the recruitment of certain positions within the JCIE structure, such as that of IQA Committee Chair. In addition, the lay member may occasionally be asked to join short life working groups on matters relating to the JCIE’s remit.
The appointment is for a term of five years, renewable for up to a further five years.
Duties of the JCIE
The JCIE members collectively have the following duties:
- Keep under general review Examination Regulations in line with changes in training; format and scope in line with changes in curricula for each specialty and conduct of the Examinations in line with good practice.
- Implement agreed policy for all matters relating to the Specialty Fellowship Examinations and make recommendations for change as necessary.
- Ensure on‐going strategic planning and development of examinations.
- Maintain consistency of approach within the Boards and their examinations.
- Ensure the provision of training and guidance for Examiners and to monitor assessment of Examiners’ examining techniques and conduct of the examinations.
- Ensure compliance with the relevant Acts of Parliament e.g. Data Protection and Equal Opportunities.
- Ensure effective quality assurance of examinations.
- Maintain records of results, review and monitor examination outcomes and distribute relevant information to relevant stakeholders.
- Maintain a Register of candidates for each of the Specialty Examinations.
- Notify Colleges of successful candidates for the award of the Fellowship in the specialty.
- Implement Appeals, Complaints, Mitigating Circumstances & Reasonable Adjustments procedure where necessary.
- Ensure that the activities of the JCIE and the Boards are administered on a truly intercollegiate basis.
- Ensure that the necessary framework and efficient administrative / management infrastructure are in place to support the work of the JCIE, IQA and the ten Intercollegiate Specialty Boards.
- Submit audited accounts and draft budgets to the Colleges through the Planning & Review Group.
- Keep under regular review all Regulations and documentation relating to the conduct of the Specialty Fellowship Examinations
The lay member is expected to:
- Support the JCIE Chair and the work of the Committee by diligently preparing for meetings and raising issues relating to the interests of patients, as and when appropriate
- Take steps to become acquainted with the work of the Specialty Boards, the Specialty Fellowship Examinations and best practice in postgraduate assessment
- Participate in any induction, training and evaluation identified as an individual and as part of the Committee.
Personal Specification
- Independence from the surgical profession and the process by which trainee surgeons are trained and assessed
- Demonstrable experience of having advocated for patients or patient groups in formal contexts
- Demonstrable experience of discharging a ‘critical friend’ role in formal contexts, including the ability to challenge senior stakeholders appropriately
- Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills, with a willingness to participate actively in discussion, to demonstrate good judgement and discretion in doing so
- Highly developed influencing skills
- A willingness to work effectively and collaboratively as a member of a team
- Demonstrable capability to read and assimilate large quantities of complex information
- Understanding of the UK health system and postgraduate education, or the capability quickly to gain such an understanding
Application and Appointment Process
Interested parties are asked to submit a covering letter and CV. The appointment shall be made following a suitable shortlisting and panel interview process, involving representatives of the four surgical Royal Colleges.
Applications must be submitted to Irene MacDonald-Kennedy, PA to the CEO of RCS Edinburgh, (i.macdonald-kennedy@rcsed.ac.uk). The deadline for the receipt of applicants is 1600 hours on Friday 6 September 2024.
For a confidential discussion about the role, please contact Martin Owen (m.owen@jcie.org.uk), in the first instance.