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General Surgery

Programme description

GMC Reference: SES/465

Why choose this programme

This programme offers a broad and thorough training in all aspects of general surgery. Placements are provided in the five general surgery subspecialty units in the Hospitals of Edinburgh (Western General Hospital and Royal Infirmary) and in the District General Hospitals of Victoria Hospital  Kirkcaldy, Borders General Hospital Melrose, Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary Dumfries, Forth Valley Hospital in Larbert.
Lothian has a population of about 1 million. There are regional Vascular, Colorectal, Upper GI, Breast and HPB Units and a national Hepatic and Multi-Organ Transplant Unit. In addition, specialist training in colorectal, upper GI and Specialty: General Surgery and
vascular surgery is provided in the DGHs.
Most of the first 2-3 years of the programme is spent in DGHs with some placements in specialist units depending on local factors and training requirements. Thereafter, placement on subspecialist units is offered depending on the trainees’ subspecialist preferences. There is a strong culture of research in all the central surgical units and there are established research fellowships in all specialties. The new Edinburgh Medical School and the associated research
establishment are now sited on the Royal Infirmary campus and there are well established research facilities established on the Western General Hospital site in association with the Breast and Colorectal Units.
M&M, MDMs and audit meetings take place in all units. Attendance is expected at the monthly teaching day fon the last Friday of each month.
A wide variety of housing and outdoor recreational facilities is available locally. There are good travel links by road,
rail and air to other UK cities and beyond.

Specialty Information

Trainees will rotate  between placements  in Larbert, Melrose, Dumfries, Kirkcaldy, and Edinburgh. Transport links and distances involved are such that relocation during the programme is not necessary. The programme is designed to give comprehensive grounding in the generality of acute and chronic surgical care and then to allow subspecialisation according to the career needs of individual trainees: training is provided in individual 

units specialising in breast, colorectal, endocrine, vascular, upper gastro-intestinal, hepatopancreaticobiliary and multi-organ transplantation surgery. The trainee will participate in acute and elective general surgery throughout the programme.

Typically a trainee starting at ST3 would spend the two years in a DGH enviroment.  The final four years of the programme is tailored to trainees individual training needs but in general is spent in more specialised units in Edinburgh.  However a flexible approach to the senior portion of the training programme is maintained in order to tailor the programme to the individual needs of the trainee. 

Research, audit, teaching and management opportunities

Where possible a single period of Out of Programme Research, Experience or Training is encouraged and can be obtained in a wide variety of Units around the world by individual arrangement.

Recently trainees have enjoyed a year of OOPE in Australia, Singapore, Africa and Europe as well as in major UK centres.

Where the training is delivered?

  • Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary
  • Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
  • Western General Hospital, Edinburgh
  • Borders General Hospital, Melrose
  • Forth Valley Royal Hospital - FVRH
  • Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy

South-East of Scotland – placements in Edinburgh, Lothian, Borders, Dumfries:

  • Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary, Dumfries
  • Borders General Hospital, Melrose
  • Western General Hospital - Colorectal Unit, Edinburgh
  • Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh - Upper GI Surgery, Edinburgh
  • Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh - HPB/ Transplant Unit, Edinburgh
  • Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh - Vascular Unit, Edinburgh
  • Western General Hospital- Breast Unit, Edinburgh
  • Forth Valley Hospital, Larbert

Contacts and useful links

Information
Programme type (Deanery or National): Deanery
Administration office: South-East
Lead Dean / Director: Professor Adam Hill
Responsible Associate Postgraduate Dean or Assistant Director (GP): Mr Stuart Suttie
Specialty or Sub-specialty: Specialty
Date of GMC recent approval: Aug 2010
Associated Royal College - Faculty:
 Joint Committee on Surgical Training
Curriculum and associated assessment system: https://www.gmc-uk.org/education/standards-guidance-and-curricula/curricula/general-surgery-curriculum
Programme administrator: Name: Jackie Aitken
Address: NHS Education for Scotland, 102 West Port, Edinburgh, EH3 9DN
Tel: 0131 656 3475
Email: jackie.aitken@nhs.scot
Programme director(s): Name: Sarah Goodbrand
Address: Western General Hospital
Email: sarah.goodbrand@nhs.scot
Quality of training: Quality Management
How to apply

This page was last updated on: 14.03.2025 at 14.14