Posts Tagged ‘MRCS’

Upper GI Surgery

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Posted 13 Oct 2009 — by admin
Category Upper GI Surgery

What is upper GI surgery?

Upper gastrointestinal surgery, commonly referred to as “upper GI surgery,” is surgery on the upper parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Upper GI surgery can be open or laparoscopic.

Open surgery requires a large incision, generally enough to accommodate the surgeon’s hands. Laparoscopic, sometimes referred to as keyhole surgery, involves only small incisions in the abdomen, through which instruments can be inserted to view and treat affected areas.

What is it used for?

Upper GI surgery is used to treat a number of conditions affecting the oesophagus, stomach, duodenum area of the small intestine, diaphragm, gall bladder, liver, spleen and pancreas.

Conditions that can benefit from upper GI surgery include abdominal wall hernias, gallstones, diseases of the pancreas and liver, gastroesophageal reflux disease, dysphagia, oesophageal diseases and disorders, and post-hepatic (also called obstructive) jaundice.

Who performs it?

To perform upper GI surgery, a physician must be qualified as a surgeon with a specialisation in the upper gastrointestinal tract. Some upper gastrointestinal surgeons may specialise further, focusing specifically on oesophago-gastric or hepato-pancreatico-biliary disorders.

Oesophago-gastric disorders involve the oesophagus and stomach, and hepato-pancreatico-biliary disorders involve the liver, pancreas and billiary tract. Hepato-pancreatico-biliary specialization can be even further narrowed to allow a surgeon to specialize in liver disorders, including hepatic resection and transplantation.

How to become qualified

Training to become qualified to perform upper GI surgery is the same as training for any other surgical speciality. Physicians complete five years of general medical training then undertake a two-year foundation programme. Upon completing the foundation programme, which includes general surgical training, trainees take the MRCS (Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons) Examination.

After passing the MRCS, the trainee can apply for specialist training in upper gastrointestinal surgery.

When specialist training has been successfully completed, a surgeon may apply for a Certificate of Completion of Training, or CCT, and apply to join the General Medical Council (GMC) Specialist Register. Doctors must be registered with the GMC to practice in the U.K.

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Cardiac Surgeon

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Posted 12 Oct 2009 — by admin
Category Cardiac Surgeon

Becoming a cardiac surgeon is certainly a noble task, but the road is long and the trials arduous. Not everyone who begins the training will complete it, but as these are the people who responsible for, quite literally, repairing broken hearts, one would expect nothing less.

Training as a Cardiac Surgeon

Training is generally considered to be ongoing, but becoming a full fledged cardiac surgeon with consulting capabilities can easily take over 15 years to accomplish.

The first step in becoming a cardiac surgeon is to train as a doctor. Before specialised training can even begin, a basic medical degree must be obtained including the principles of medicine and surgery.

Depending on the university attended, the title of the degree could be different, such as BM for Bachelor of Medicine or BS for Bachelor of Surgery, but the knowledge is basically the same. This step alone can typically take up to five years to complete.

Several years follow of further specialised training during which the aspiring surgeon must gain a specific surgical qualification. Examples include MRCS, Membership of The Royal College of Surgeons, which was previously titled FRCS, Fellowship of The Royal College of Surgeons. This process generally takes an additional four years.

Education is also required

A Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training is also required if the surgeon wishes to practise as a consultant. Some surgeons choose to specialise further in fields including ophthalmology and orthopaedics. These individuals can expect an additional six years of training to obtain their qualifications.

The letters following a surgeon’s name generally indicate the school that granted the qualification, and though some surgeons may have multiple qualifications, many choose to display only their highest instead of listing all of their lesser degrees.

Register and be approved

All surgeons who were trained overseas often display different letters following their name which indicate the institutions that granted their qualifications, though before practising in the UK they must be registered with the General Medical Council, an also prove they are capable and experienced enough to handle the work.

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