More than 35 medical students from across the island of Ireland gathered at RCSI’s state-of-the-art surgical simulation facilities at 26 York Street, Dublin to compete in the annual National Intercollegiate Surgical Skills Competition 2026.

This year’s competition brought together participants from five universities – RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, University College Dublin (UCD), University College Cork (UCC), the University of Limerick, and Trinity College Dublin – in a closely contested showcase of surgical skills.

In the individual category, Marcelina Wieczorek from University College Cork was named overall winner. Megan Lim from Trinity College Dublin finished in second place, while Aneesh Kaul from RCSI claimed third. Meanwhile, University College Cork took home the team award, demonstrating exceptional collective performance.

The competition is open to medical students considering a career in surgery, providing them with an opportunity to test and refine their laparoscopic and suturing skills.

“The National Intercollegiate Surgical Skills Competition provides a great platform for aspiring surgeons to practice their early technical skills in a friendly and supportive environment. I am very pleased to note that this competition continues to grow in popularity, parallel with a substantial increase in the number of applications for core surgical training over the past five years,” said Professor Kevin Barry, Director of National Surgical Training Programmes. “Acquisition of technical and non-technical skills is embedded in our national surgical training programmes. We value our ongoing interactions with medical students from all universities on the island of Ireland.”

Ms Aneesh Kaul, final year RCSI medical student, said: “The National Surgical Skills Competition was a fantastic opportunity to challenge myself and apply the surgical techniques I’ve been developing over the past few years. The competition was tough but enjoyable, and it was motivating to compete alongside other students, many of whom I hope to work with in the future.”

Ms Marcelina Wieczorek, fourth year Direct Entry Medicine, University College Cork, said “Taking part in the competition was an unforgettable experience and a real privilege. It provided a valuable opportunity to develop and apply practical surgical skills in a supportive environment of the highest standards. I really enjoyed great camaraderie among medical students from across the country, and working with RCSI’s state-of-the-art equipment made the experience even more rewarding. I am incredibly proud of my UCC team and everything we achieved together. Finally, a big thank you to the organisers for putting together this fantastic event.”