Britain’s oldest surgical Royal College, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, has elected Mr Michael Moran as the new Trainee Member of Council, the fourth person to hold this post.
The role was introduced to give a voice to surgical trainees at the highest level and it is the only surgical Royal College to offer such a position.
Mr Moran, from South Belfast, is an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT)/Head and Neck Surgery Registrar, and is currently on a year out of programme, while working in the pharmaceutical industry. He was officially welcomed as Chair of the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh Trainees' Committee and Member of Council on 17 November, serving until November 2019.
Mr Moran was previously employed by the National Institutes of Health Research (NIHR) as an Academic Clinical Lecturer at University College London and as a Specialist Registrar (ST7) in Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.
College President Professor Michael Lavelle-Jones, said:
"I would like to congratulate Michael on his election to Council. The role of Trainee Member of Council is an important one, to help effectively advance the interests of surgical trainees. The College is already leading the way regarding trainee involvement informing College priorities and policies and we are committed to ensuring that trainee matters are prioritised, as trainee surgeons represent the future of our specialty.”
Mr Moran said of his appointment:
“I will ensure that the College Council continues to have a strong trainee voice. Having served two terms on the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh Trainees’ Committee, I can assure trainee members of the College that I will provide continuity for the Committee’s work, and for trainee representation on Council. As a result of having worked in three different UK deaneries as part of my training, as well as overseas, I have a comprehensive understanding of surgical training priorities, and will represent the full global membership of RCSEd.
“I will act as an ambassador for the College, and plan to maintain strong links to organisations such as the Association of Surgeons in Training, the British Medical Association and the specialty trainee organisations. The next few years will bring great change in terms of the implementation of the Shape of Training review and competency based training goals. This is a crucial time for surgical trainees, and I will be committed to ensuring that the quality of training is maintained.”
Mr Moran also acts as a liaison for the College’s Policy and Public Affairs department and has represented the College at the BMA multispecialty working group, which in recent years has been vital, especially regarding the new junior doctors’ contract in England.
Mr Moran was awarded a first-class BSc Hons in Therapeutics and Pharmacology in 2002, a Masters of Education for Health Care Professionals in in 2004 and a PhD in Surgical Oncology in 2015.
Mr Moran also volunteers to help facilitate disabled or ill people who wish to travel to Lourdes on pilgrimage. As an extension of the practical medical support that he provides, Mr Moran founded an Irish network of health care professionals who volunteer in Lourdes. Mr Moran is also the Irish representative on the International Medical Committee of Lourdes, alongside around 40 other doctors from across the world.