About

RCSI as educated surgeons in Dublin since 1784. Today, we remain committed to providing leadership and support for policymakers, clinical and non-clinical healthcare partners, regulators, trainees and Fellows as they work to deliver the standards of surgical care our patients expect and deserve. 

We are the accredited postgraduate training body for surgical and surgical and emergency medicine training programmes in the Republic of Ireland, recognised by the Irish Medical Council and the Health Service Executive (HSE). We also serve as the advisory body for all matters relating to Core and Specialist Training in Surgery and Emergency Medicine, and make recommendations for the awarding of the Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training (CCST).

Surgery at RCSI is one of Ireland’s leading providers of professional education programmes and certified training courses in surgery, emergency medicine and other medical specialties. We offer a comprehensive suite of National University of Ireland (NUI)-accredited master’s programmes, all positioned at Level 9 on the National Qualifications Framework. We are also engaged by the HSE to deliver a range of continuing professional development (CPD) courses for non-consultant hospital doctors, under the Continuing Professional Development Support Scheme, and we provide accredited short courses in Advanced Trauma Life Support®, Basic Surgical Skills and Care for the Critically Ill Surgical Patient.

Surgery at RCSI supports a community of more than 10,000 surgical Fellows and Members practising in 90 countries worldwide. We conduct Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) examinations in Ireland and at overseas locations, including Bahrain, India, Jordan, Malaysia, Malta, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) examinations are delivered in Ireland, Great Britain and internationally, in partnership with the Surgical Royal Colleges of Edinburgh, England and Glasgow. 

RCSI operates the Professional Competence Scheme (PCS) for surgeons and doctors working in surgery and emergency medicine on behalf of the Irish Medical Council. We also undertake and support projects aimed at improving the experience of patients and staff in the health service. RCSI is home to the National Office of Clinical Audit (NOCA), which maintains a portfolio of prioritised national clinical audits.

Our goal as a research unit is to support the College’s Surgical Science and Practice research pillar and to partner with industry, domestic and international health research institutions, and other bodies to ensure that patient-focused research remains at the heart of RCSI’s research activity.