TRAINEES AND STUDENTS

SYMPOSIUM A HUGE SUCCESS

Students learn new techniques at Oxford event

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n Saturday 14 October, the RCSEd along with the Hugh Cairns Surgical Society (HCSS, a student-led body), held the fourth Oxford Surgical Skills Symposium at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. The event aimed to give delegates hands-on experience of a variety of surgical skills not routinely covered in the current curricula, as well as the opportunity to meet faculty from

Delegates at two of the six one-hour workstations

a range of surgical specialties with a view to promoting career choices in the field. Delegates ranged from senior medical students to core trainees from all over the UK. The symposium consisted of six onehour workstations covering trauma, urology, laparoscopy simulation, suturing and electrocautery, cardiothoracic surgery and bowel anastomosis. Consultant surgeons and senior surgical trainees led each workshop.

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One of the greatest achievements of this year’s symposium was the ratio of faculty to delegates: more than 40 faculty taught 72 delegates. At the end of the day, RCSEd President Professor Michael LavelleJones presented the prizes for the winner and runners-up of the laparoscopy competition, and one for the ‘most promising surgeon’ of the day. Rhiannon Baldwin President of HCSS

BASE: Skills for Aspiring Surgeons In October, the Edinburgh Student Surgical Society hosted an information evening with hands-on workshops to inform and inspire medical students considering a career in surgery. The BASE: Skills for Aspiring Surgeons

event was held in conjunction with the Clinical Anatomy Scheme for Edinburgh and was supported by the RCSEd and University of Edinburgh Innovation Initiative. Professor David Sinclair gave a keynote

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lecture on ‘Spaces and Spread – The Surgical Anatomy of Fascia’, and the students participated in workshops exploring basic surgical skills and emergency scenarios. Thank you to Jen Reid and Eilidh Bruce for convening the event.

Skills workshop