![Surgeons Hall](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Surgeons_Hall.jpg)
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of
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. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located on Nicolson Street,
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, within the
Surgeons' Hall
Surgeons' Hall in Edinburgh, Scotland, is the headquarters of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd). It houses the Surgeons' Hall Museum, and the library and archive of the RCSEd. The present Surgeons' Hall was designed by William ...
, designed by
William Henry Playfair
William Henry Playfair FRSE (15 July 1790 – 19 March 1857) was a prominent Scottish architect in the 19th century, who designed the Eastern, or Third, New Town and many of Edinburgh's neoclassical landmarks.
Life
Playfair was born on 15 ...
, and adjoining buildings. The main campus includes a skills laboratory, the Surgeons' Hall Museums, a medical and surgical library, and a hotel. A second office was opened in
Birmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
(UK) in 2014 and an international office opened in
Kuala Lumpur
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, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
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, su ...
, Malaysia, in 2018.
It is one of the oldest surgical corporations in the world and traces its origins to 1505, when the Barber Surgeons of Edinburgh were formally
incorporated as a craft of Edinburgh. The
Barber-Surgeons of Dublin was the first medical corporation in Ireland or Britain, having been incorporated in 1446 (by Royal Decree of
Henry VI).
RCSEd represents members and fellows across the UK and the world, spanning a number of disciplines, including surgery, dentistry, perioperative care, pre-hospital care, and remote, rural and humanitarian healthcare. The majority of its UK members are based in England with others across Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Its membership includes people at every stage of their career, from medical students through to trainees, consultants, and those who have retired from practice.
The Council is the governing body of RCSEd, and represents the professional interests of the College's membership. Decisions made by Council formulate policy and direct the College in its mission to promote the highest standards of surgical practice. As a charitable organisation, the Members of Council are also Trustees of the College. The Council comprises five Office-Bearers, 15 elected members, one Trainee member and the Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery.
History
The 16th century
In 1505, the Barber Surgeons of Edinburgh were formally incorporated as a
craft guild
A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...
of the city, and this recognition is embodied in the Seal of Cause (or
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the rec ...
of
Privileges), which was granted to the Barber Surgeons by the
Town Council of Edinburgh
The politics of Edinburgh are expressed in the deliberations and decisions of the City of Edinburgh Council, in elections to the council, the Scottish Parliament and the UK Parliament.
Also, as Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh is host to the ...
on 1 July 1505.
The Seal of Cause conferred various privileges and imposed certain crucially important duties, the most important of these that all apprentices should be literate, that every master should have full knowledge of anatomy and surgical procedures, and that this knowledge should be tested at the end of apprenticeship, all clauses still relevant to surgical practice and the College today.
The 17th century: the first permanent meeting place
![Old Surgeons' Hall from Drummond Street](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Old_Surgeons%27_Hall_from_Drummond_Street.jpg)
In 1647, the Incorporation of Surgeons acquired a permanent meeting place for the first time in rented rooms of a tenement in Dickson's Close. At the end of the century, work on what is now known as "Old Surgeons' Hall", in High School Yards, started and was completed and occupied by the Incorporation of Surgeons by 1697.
The 18th century: the growth of scientific medicine in Edinburgh
In 1722 the Barbers formally separated from the Surgeons Incorporation by decreet of the Court of Session to found the Society of Barbers of Edinburgh, which would exist until 1922.
The
University of Edinburgh Medical School
The University of Edinburgh Medical School (also known as Edinburgh Medical School) is the medical school of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and the United Kingdom and part of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. It was esta ...
(established in 1726) and
The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, or RIE, often (but incorrectly) known as the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, or ERI, was established in 1729 and is the oldest voluntary hospital in Scotland. The new buildings of 1879 were claimed to be the largest v ...
were responsible for the rapid development in Edinburgh of systematic medical teaching on a sound scientific basis. Surgery, however, was perceived by many as still being a manual craft rather than an intellectual discipline, so members of the Incorporation of Surgeons undertook the task of education and did much to establish Edinburgh's reputation as a centre of surgical teaching. In 1778, King George III granted a new charter giving the surgeons' corporation the title "The Royal College of Surgeons of the City of Edinburgh".
The 19th century: a new meeting place, the Playfair Building
![Surgeons' Hall, Nicolson Street, Edinburgh](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Surgeons%27_Hall%2C_Nicolson_Street%2C_Edinburgh.jpg)
By the beginning of the 19th century, the College had outgrown Old Surgeons' Hall and an urgent need arose for accommodation for the large collection of anatomical and surgical specimens which had been presented to the College by Dr
John Barclay. A riding school in Nicolson Street was purchased and
William Henry Playfair
William Henry Playfair FRSE (15 July 1790 – 19 March 1857) was a prominent Scottish architect in the 19th century, who designed the Eastern, or Third, New Town and many of Edinburgh's neoclassical landmarks.
Life
Playfair was born on 15 ...
, 1790–1857, the foremost Scottish architect of that era, was commissioned to design a building containing a meeting hall, museum, lecture room, and library as its principal apartments. Surgeons' Hall was completed in May 1832, and formally opened two months later.
The 20th century: a period of expansion
In July 1905, the College celebrated the fourth centenary of its incorporation, and as part of the celebrations, conferred honorary fellowship upon 36 of the world's most distinguished surgeons. These included
Lord Lister
Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister, (5 April 182710 February 1912) was a British surgeon, medical scientist, experimental pathologist and a pioneer of antiseptic surgery and preventative medicine. Joseph Lister revolutionised the craft of su ...
, the acknowledged Father of Modern Surgery, who had become a fellow in 1855. In 1955, on the 450th anniversary of the foundation of the College, the honorary fellowship was conferred upon His Royal Highness, the
Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh, named after the city of Edinburgh in Scotland, was a substantive title that has been created three times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not produc ...
, who had consented to become patron of the College earlier that year. A derelict tenement on Hill Place was made available to the college by
Edinburgh District Council
The City of Edinburgh Council is the local government authority for the city of Edinburgh, capital of Scotland. With a population of in mid-2019, it is the second most populous local authority area in Scotland.
In its current form, the counci ...
and was topped out in May 1981.
The 21st century: the College today
The College celebrated its quincentenary in 2005 with the opening of a new skills laboratory and conference venue, as well as its Ten Hill Place Hotel. Today, the College continues to serve its original role, to continue education, assessment, and the advancement of surgeons and surgery. In April 2014, the College opened a regional centre in Birmingham to cater for the 80% of its UK membership based in England and Wales.
Examinations
To be admitted as a member to the College, trainee surgeons are required to sit and pass
Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons
Membership of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (MRCS) is a postgraduate diploma for surgeons in the United Kingdom, UK and Ireland. Obtaining this qualification allows a doctor to become a member of one of the four sur ...
(MRCS) examinations, which usually happen in the first or second years of surgical training. Since September 2008, the MRCS has become an intercollegiate examination, with a syllabus, format, and content common to all three Colleges in the UK (the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh,
the Royal College of Surgeons of England
The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) is an independent professional body and registered charity that promotes and advances standards of surgical care for patients, and regulates surgery and dentistry in England and Wales. The ...
, and
the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, is an institute of physicians and surgeons in Glasgow, Scotland.
Founded by Peter Lowe after receiving a royal charter by James VI in 1599, as the Glasgow Faculty, it originally exist ...
).
The College conducts a number of other examinations, including dental examinations, immediate medical care examinations, and sport and exercise medicine.
Education
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh runs a large range of educational events and courses for medical students interested in surgery, through to surgical trainees and consultant specialists. Many of these courses are held in the Surgical Skills Laboratory on site in Edinburgh, but the College does also conduct courses abroad.
It offers distance-learning courses through its department of eLearning. The Post-Graduate Certificate in Remote and Offshore Medicine (CertROM) is an example of a course that consists entirely of online modules, although for the diploma (DipROM) attendance of a workshop is also required.
Faculties
The Faculty of Dental Surgery
Dentistry
Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the teeth, gums, and mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions o ...
has been an important part of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh since the Incorporation of Barber Surgeons were granted their Seal of Cause by Edinburgh Town Council in 1505, though it remained largely unregulated in Edinburgh until the middle of the 19th century. In 1879 the Diploma of
Licentiate in Dental Surgery (LDS) was introduced and recognised for admission to the Dentist's Register. In 1921, the Dentists Act raised standards, and only dentists who had been trained in a dental school could be admitted to the Register and allowed to practise dentistry.
The Edinburgh Dental School became part of the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
in 1948 and graduates were awarded the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS). The same year, the College introduced the diploma of Fellowship in Dental Surgery (FDSRCSEd). In 1982, Dental Surgery became a distinct faculty within the College and continues to concentrate on the education, training and maintenance of standards of professional competence and conduct.
It is the largest of the College's faculties with almost 7,000 Fellows and Members worldwide and has its own Council. The Dental Faculty's portfolio consists of a wide range of exams and courses held in 17 countries around the world.
The Faculty of Dental Trainers
The Faculty of Dental Trainers was launched in 2016 by the Faculty of Dental Surgery of The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. The purpose of the Faculty is to enhance patient care and safety by promoting the highest standards of training in dentistry and to support trainers in developing their roles. The Faculty is open to all members of the dental team.
The Faculty of Surgical Trainers
The Faculty of Surgical Trainers is open to anyone who has an active interest or involvement in surgical training in the UK and internationally, regardless of College affiliation.
The Faculty is the first of its kind in the UK and its purpose is to help support and develop surgeons in their role as surgical trainers.
The Faculty of Perioperative Care
RCSEd established the Faculty of Perioperative Care in recognition of the evolving and increasingly important role that Surgical Care Practitioners and Surgical First Assistants play as part of the wider surgical team in delivering safe surgical care to patients.
The Faculty is available to all perioperative practitioners, including trainees, such as: Surgical Care Practitioners; Surgical First Assistants; and all those with similar titles involved in the delivery of high quality surgical care.
The Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care
Pre-hospital care is a well-established branch of medicine, now practised by a broad range of practitioners from first aiders, paramedics, doctors, nurses, first responders, voluntary aid workers and remote medics including multi agency teams such as police, fire and armed forces.
The Faculty's aim is to set and maintain clinical standards for all practitioners in this evolving specialty. They run the Diploma of Immediate Medical Care, which covers prehospital care competencies. This exam utilises the Sandpiper Bag designed and provided by
Sandpiper Trust
Sandpiper Trust is a Scottish-based charity whose aims are related to improving Pre-hospital emergency medicine, pre-hospital immediate care in remote and rural Scotland. It receives no Government, NHS or Local Authority funding. They are a major ...
.
The Faculty of Remote, Rural and Humanitarian Healthcare
The Faculty of Remote and Rural Healthcare (FRRHH) was formally launched in November 2018, incorporating Humanitarian in its structure in August 2020.
The faculty was established in response to the need identified within both industry and the public health arena to define, review and set standards of competence for organisations as well as medical and non-medical personnel delivering healthcare in remote and rural environments. The new faculty has been developed alongside a number of partner organisations including: UK-MED, MediLink International,
BASICS Scotland
The British Association for Immediate Care Scotland (BASICS Scotland) is an organisation involved with prehospital care. It has the aims of providing encouragement and aid with the formation of immediate care schemes and to provide training to s ...
, the
College of Remote and Offshore Medicine
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...
and others.
The Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine
The
Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine works to develop and promote the medical specialty of Sport and Exercise Medicine.
The specialty is concerned with the accurate diagnosis, management and prevention of medical conditions and injury in those who participate in physical activity.
Surgeons' Hall Museums
![Surgeons' Hall Museums](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Surgeons%27_Hall_Museums.jpg)
The Museums linked to the College is open to the public and houses one of the largest collections of pathological artifacts in Britain. The museums date from 1699 and underwent major improvements in 2015.
Previous Conservators of the museums include
John Goodsir
John Goodsir (20 March 1814 – 6 March 1867) was a Scottish anatomist and a pioneer in the formulation of cell theory.
Early life
Goodsir was born on 20 March 1814 in Anstruther, Fife, the son of Elizabeth Dunbar Taylor and John Goods ...
,
William Rutherford Sanders
William Rutherford Sanders FRSE (17 February 1828 – 18 February 1881) was a 19th-century Scottish pathologist. He was one of the first to advocate the use of digitalis in heart conditions. He served as President of the Royal Medical Society 1 ...
,
James Bell Pettigrew
James Bell Pettigrew FRSE FRS FRCPE LLD (26 May 1834 – 30 January 1908) was a Scottish anatomist and noted naturalist, aviation pioneer and museum curator. He was a distinguished naturalist in Britain, and Professor of Anatomy at St Andrews U ...
,
David Middleton" Greig, and
D. E. C. Mekie
David Eric Cameron Mekie FRSE OBE (1902–1989) was a Scottish surgeon and Keeper of the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh from 1955 to 1974.
Life
He was born in Edinburgh the son of David Mekie FRSE, a local builder and amat ...
.
"History of the Museums"
1978.
The Museums consist of the Wohl Pathology Museum, the History of Surgery Museum and The Dental Collection. The collections represent the changing nature of medical and scientific teaching and research since the late 18th century.
See also
* List of presidents of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
* The Association of Surgeons in Training
* Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is a medical professional and educational institution, which is also known as RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ireland's first private university. It was established in 1784 ...
References
External links
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Official website
Surgeons' Hall Museums website
College online journal
Surgeons' Hall
Ten Hill Place Hotel, owned by The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care
{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal College Of Surgeons Of Edinburgh
1505 establishments in Scotland
Health in Edinburgh
Surgeons of Edinburgh
Organisations based in Edinburgh
Organizations established in the 1500s
College of Surgeons
The Royal College of Surgeons is an ancient college (a form of corporation) established in England to regulate the activity of surgeons. Derivative organisations survive in many present and former members of the Commonwealth. These organisations a ...
Professional associations based in Scotland
Science and technology in Edinburgh
Scottish medical associations
Surgical organisations based in the United Kingdom