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Balamurugan Ganesan Trust Registrar in General Surgery at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust

Parth Gada Colorectal Trust Registrar at James Cook University Hospital (NHS South Tees), Middlesbrough

A year has swiftly passed since the College organised the first International Conference outside the UK, in Chennai, India. We, as two young surgical trainees having cleared the Part A MRCS exams, attended, with high hopes of exploring opportunities for UK surgical training. Little did we know this experience would completely reshape our lives.

One of us delivered a poster presentation, while the other participated in a course. We found ourselves engrossed in the conference, attending lectures and presentations within the grand halls of the ITC Grand Chola. We were privileged to participate in various courses, notably ‘Essential Skills for the 21st Century Surgeon’ held at the MGR University auditorium.

The experience gained at the event was invaluable and continues to shape our journey.

For three days we were immersed in a world of knowledge, an experience we thoroughly enjoyed and continue to hold dear. The gala dinner enabled us to connect with the RCSEd Faculty, including esteemed professors such as Rowan Parks, Pala Rajesh, Angus Watson, Judy Evans, Clare McNaught, Claire Edwards, Robin Paton and Stuart Clark. This networking greatly increased our understanding of UK surgical training.

Inspired and motivated, we registered for MRCS Part B exams and attended a preparatory course conducted by Dr Judy Evans in Kozhikode, Kerala, in January 2023. We passed the exams in the March 2023 diet, becoming proud Members of the world’s oldest surgical college.

As we pursued our dreams of UK surgical training, we found ourselves inundated with queries about MRCS exam preparation. In response, we initiated networking sessions about the MRCS. To our delight, they have been attended by almost 50 surgical trainees from all over India and even some enthusiastic MBBS graduates. The sessions covered a range of topics, from understanding what MRCS entails to discussing the preparation for Part A and Part B, as well as exploring the surgical career pathways in the UK.

Full circle

Fast forward to the present and life has brought us full circle. We now find ourselves attending the MRCS diploma ceremony at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. We are a step closer to our dreams, having started our first NHS jobs in pursuit of specialty training in the UK.

We wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to the College Faculty and team for organising the International Conference in Chennai. The events and courses run by the RCSEd offer a remarkable opportunity to immerse yourself in the essentials of and updates in surgical practice.

We eagerly anticipate more events like this in the future. We are certain that these experiences will be as life-changing for other aspiring surgical trainees worldwide as they were for us.