RCSI has a long tradition of excellence in surgical training. Our surgeons, male and female, have, over many decades, earned leading positions in institutions across the world.

The College has been at the forefront in developing transparent selection processes for future surgeons. Yet, despite more than 20 years of gender parity among medical graduates, female consultant surgeon numbers in Ireland remain low.

In 2017, RCSI published a comprehensive report, PROGRESS: Promoting Gender Equality in Surgery, which highlighted the scale of the problem and sought to make meaningful recommendations that could ensure surgery as a profession is an attractive and practical career for both men and women.

The College is committed to the findings within the report and we are seeking to make substantial changes to career pathways for females interested in pursuing a career in surgery. We feel that the provision of fellowships and programmes that advance female role models will do much to break down barriers and unlock the potential of women in surgery.

The PROGRESS Women in Surgery Fellowship is a prestigious bursary awarded by RCSI to promote female participation in surgical training at fellowship level. We hope this will in turn support the acquisition of additional surgical skills and knowledge that will contribute to the advancement of surgical science and practice in the island of Ireland.

The successful candidate will be awarded a Fellowship of €45,000 for one year. She will also be awarded the RCSI PROGRESS Fellowship Medal and her name will be added to the Fellowship in Surgery board, displayed in RCSI. The Fellowship will be presented at the annual RCSI Charter Day Meeting.

The application deadline for the PROGRESS Women in Surgery Fellowship is Monday, 7 November 2022.

Further details including all documentation can be found HERE