The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, is an institute of

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

s and

surgeon In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...

s in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

. Founded by Peter Lowe after receiving a

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, bu ...

James VI James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

in 1599, as the Glasgow Faculty, it originally existed as a regulatory authority to ensure that

physicians A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

surgeons In modern medicine, a surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgery. Although there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon usually is also a licensed physician or received the same medical training as ...

and

dentist A dentist, also known as a dental surgeon, is a health care professional who specializes in dentistry (the diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the mouth, oral cavity and other aspects of the craniofaci ...

s In the West of Scotland were appropriately trained and regulated. In 1909, it achieved Royal recognition and became the Royal Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (RFPSG). In 1962, following agreement with the other medical and surgical Royal Colleges in the UK it achieved collegiate status as the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (RCPSG), by which name it is known today. The College, in combination with the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh provided a primary medical qualification which entitled the bearer to practice medicine, and was registerable with the

General Medical Council The General Medical Council (GMC) is a public body that maintains the official register of medical practitioners within the United Kingdom. Its chief responsibility is to "protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the public" by c ...

as a primary medical qualification the

Triple Qualification The Triple Qualification (TQ) was a medical qualification awarded jointly by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and the Faculty (later Royal College) of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow betwe ...

diploma (LRCP (Edinburgh), LRCS (Edinburgh), LRCPSG). From 1994, until the abolition of non-university qualifying examinations in 1999, this was offered through the

United Examining Board The United Examining Board was formed in 1993 to administer non-university qualifying examinations in medicine and surgery. The diplomas offered by the United Examining Board were registerable with the General Medical Council in order to register ...

. Until 1948 the Faculty (as it then was) provided dental education via the Glasgow Dental School awarding the qualification of LDS RFPSG. Since 1948 training in dentistry has been provided by the University of Glasgow who award the BDS degree. The College is now concerned with postgraduate medical education, offering examinations that lead to Membership and Fellowship to appropriately qualified

, dental surgeons and

podiatrists A podiatrist ( ) is a medical professional devoted to the treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle, and related structures of the leg. The term originated in North America but has now become the accepted term in the English-speaking world for ...

. They also offer a number of specialist postgraduate diplomas to medical practitioners in various subjects including dermatology, child health, geriatric medicine, travel health, ophthalmology, and dentistry.

History

The College was founded in 1599, by a Royal Charter from King

of Scotland. The Charter was granted to Peter Lowe, a surgeon who trained in France, and author of The Whole Course of Chirurgerie (1597), and Robert Hamilton, a Scottish physician. The Charter also mentions by name the apothecary William Spang, who was granted the power to inspect and regulate the sale of drugs in the town. The College originally had no corporate name but became known as the Facultie (1629), then the Facultie of Chyrurgeons and Physitians (1654). By the end of the 17th century the name was established as the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. Powers were granted to examine and regulate surgical practice in the baronies of Glasgow, Renfrew and Dumbarton, and the districts or sheriffdoms of Clydesdale, Renfrew, Lanark, Kyle, Carrick, Ayr and Cunningham. Physicians were admitted on production of their MD diploma. The Faculty was incorporated with the Town Council to gain burgh privileges in 1656, and purchased a property on the Trongate in 1697. This was demolished and a purpose-built Faculty Hall was erected on the site in 1698. The Faculty Library was also founded in 1698. In 1791, the Faculty moved to a new hall in

St Enoch Square St. Enoch Square is a public square in Glasgow, Scotland, situated south of the junction of Buchanan Street and Argyle Street, two of the city's busiest shopping streets. History The Square sits on land that once was the western part of Glas ...

and in 1862 to their current property on St. Vincent Street, part of the New Town lands developed by

William Harley William Harley (1767–1829) was a Scottish textile manufacturer and entrepreneur who is known for his early contributions to the city of Glasgow, including the development of the New Town of Blythswood, covering Blythswood Hill, and pioneering ...

Blythswood Square Blythswood Square is the Georgian square on Blythswood Hill in the heart of the City of Glasgow, Scotland. The square is part of the 'Magnificent New Town of Blythswood' built in the 1800s on the rising empty ground west of a very new Buchana ...

.. In 1909, the Faculty was allowed to add the prefix "Royal" to its name; and in 1962 the name was again changed to the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow to bring it into line with its sister corporations. The Faculty was unique in that it included the professions of

barber A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave men's and boys' hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a "barbershop" or a "barber's". Barbershops are also places of social interaction and publi ...

and

apothecary ''Apothecary'' () is a mostly archaic term for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses '' materia medica'' (medicine) to physicians, surgeons, and patients. The modern chemist (British English) or pharmacist (British and North Ameri ...

in addition to those of surgeon and physician. In 1656 the surgeons and barbers jointly received a Letter of Deaconry from the Town Council, establishing them as a craft or trade, with representation in the Trades House. However, relations between the barbers and the surgeons deteriorated later the 17th century, until in 1722 they split and the Letter of Deaconry became null and void. The barbers received money to the value of their share in the Faculty Hall in the Trongate and a new, separate Letter of Deaconry from the Town Council. The Faculty defended its right to be the only body in Glasgow responsible for training and maintaining standards against the claims of the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

. This resulted in extensive litigation in the early 19th century over the status of surgical degrees, which was eventually settled in the Faculty's favour. The Faculty offered a Licence for surgeons from 1785 which served as a basic medical qualification. The Double Qualification in medicine and surgery, established with the

Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) is a medical royal college in Scotland. It is one of three organisations that sets the specialty training standards for physicians in the United Kingdom. It was established by Royal charter ...

, was instituted in 1859 and was replaced by the Triple Qualification in 1884. This was a joint medical qualification between all three Scottish medical colleges. At the end of World War II the Goodenough Committee recommended that a medical degree be the ''sine qua non'' of entry to the medical profession. From that time onward the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow has concentrated on postgraduate training, professional development and examinations. File:Princess Alexandra's Room, The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, Scotland.JPG, Princess Alexandra's Room File:The College Hall, The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, Scotland.JPG, The College Hall

Qualifications awarded

* FRCP(G) (Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow qua Physician) * FRCS(G) (Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow qua Surgeon) * FDS RCPSG (Fellowship in Dental Surgery of Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow) * FFTM RCPSG * Formerly MRCS(G) (Member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow qua Surgeon) * Intercollegiate MRCS (

Membership of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland Membership of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (MRCS) is a postgraduate diploma for surgeons in the UK and Ireland. Obtaining this qualification allows a doctor to become a member of one of the four surgical colleges ...

) * Formerly MRCP(G) (Member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow qua Physician) * Intercollegiate MRCP(UK) (

Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom (MRCP(UK)) is a postgraduate medical diploma in the United Kingdom (UK). The examinations are run by the Federation of the Medical Royal Colleges – the Royal College of Phys ...

) * MFDS RCPSG (Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Glasgow) The reason the

post-nominal letters Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles, designatory letters or simply post-nominals, are letters placed after a person's name to indicate that the individual holds a position, academic degree, accreditation, ...

for the

fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

ships use "FRCP(G)" and "FRCS(G)" rather than something like "FRCPS(G)-P" and "FRCPS(G)-S" is that they are parallel in form with all other similar fellowship designations for physicians and surgeons, such as FRCP(E)/FRCS(E), FRCP(I)/FRCS(I), FRCP(Lon)/FRCS(Eng). The same is true for the

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (french: Collège royal des médecins et chirurgiens du Canada) is a regulatory college which acts as a national, nonprofit organization established in 1929 by a special Act of Parliament to o ...

, which grants the FRCP(C) and FRCS(C) fellowships.

Faculty of Dental Surgery

The four surgical Colleges in the UK and Ireland received authorisation, through legislation laid out in The Dentist Act of 1878, to establish a qualification through examination that would lead to registration on the Dentist Register. The dentist act of 1984 now supersedes this. The register was held by the General Medical Council at that time. The first examination took place in 1879 and 'the Licence in Dental Surgery' was awarded by the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. In 1935, the College decided to create a Dental Committee that could provide advice on dental matters. In 1967 this committee became known as the Dental Council. 1968 saw formation of the Joint Committee for Higher Training in Dentistry by the four Royal Colleges of Edinburgh, England, Glasgow and Ireland. In 1990 a Dental Faculty was established to recognise the increasing role of Dental Fellows in the College. As a result, the Convenor of Dental Council was elevated to that of Dean. Role of the Dental Faculty The Faculty of Dental Surgery is the professional group within the college with responsibility for dental surgeons. The Faculty set standards for dental practice through prescribing programmes of education and training, assessing their outcomes through examination, and delivering programmes of continuing professional development.

Dental Examinations Up until 1947 there was a continued demand for the Licence in Dental Surgery awarded by the Royal College. The University of Glasgow then took responsibility for undergraduate education of dental surgeons and began awarding degrees in Dentistry. The Fellowship in Dental Surgery (FDS) was first established by the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1947. The Glasgow College established its own FDS in 1967. Originally the FDS was the highest diploma in dentistry that could be awarded by the Colleges. In 1998 the Diploma of Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (MFDS) was established as a three part exam. As time progressed the MFDS was reconfigured into a two-part examination and eligibility to sit the exam was no longer restricted to those who had undertaken training in approved hospital or community posts. The MFDS is delivered jointly by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. The English and Irish colleges administer their own equivalent exams: Royal College of Surgeons England administer Membership of the Joint Dental Faculty and the Royal College Surgeons Ireland (MJDF RCSEng) administer Membership Faculty of Dentistry (MFD RCSI). Dental Specialty Trainees have undergone Fellowship assessments since 1995, each undertaking a three-year minimum duration training programme. A history of examinations and the qualifications awarded by the College for the dental faculty are listed in table 5 below.
Dental Bursaries and awards Professor Thomas Cyril White, Convenor of the Dental Council 1972–1974, bequeathed his estate to the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow 'for the furtherance of postgraduate dental education and research'. Professor White was awarded a chair in Orthodontics in 1963 at the University of Glasgow and went on to become Dean of the Dental School. Initially Professor White qualified with a Licence in Dental Surgery in Glasgow in 1933 and then Medicine and Surgery in 1935. The Royal College holds an annual symposium and awards several prizes (Table 6) which include the T C white Medal for outstanding performance in the Part 2 MFDS examination. The college administers other awards and grant schemes from other donors listed in Table 7.

References

Sources

* Illingworth, Sir Charles. ''Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.'' Glasgow: 1980. 16 pp (No ISBN) * Geyer-Kordesch, Johanna & MacDonald, Fiona. ''Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow. The History of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow 1599 - 1858.'' London: The Hambledon Press 1999. 478 pp * Hull, Andrew & Geyer-Kordesch, Johanna. ''The Shaping of the Medical Profession. The History of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow 1858 - 1999.'' London: The Hambledon Press 1999. 288 pp

External links