You are here:
Home
News & Public Affairs
The RCSEd Blog
Celebrating the First Diploma Ceremony of 2023

Celebrating the First Diploma Ceremony of 2023

Blog Home

3 February 2023

RCSEd Communications Team

General

Diploma Ceremonies are undoubtedly one of the most highly anticipated events in the College calendar, with Fellows and Members travelling from all corners of the globe to attend. We are delighted that we can once again recognise the achievements of our Diplomates at our Edinburgh campus as we look forward to our first ceremony of 2023.

Taking place on 3^rd February, this ceremony will see the College presenting special awards to two distinguished guests. Professor Andrew Elder, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, will be awarded with a Fellowship ad hominem. Professor Elder has been a practising consultant in geriatric medicine for over 30 years, and has led his College through a difficult period which included the Covid pandemic and governance reviews within his College. Throughout, he has maintained his extraordinary commitment to patient care, but also to the Scottish Academy of which he is a Vice-Chair, and to intercollegiate working.

When reaching out to Professor Elder to understand what this award meant to him, he stated:

Wherever in the world I had been born, trained, lived or practised, I would regard this award as a great honour - but as someone who is Edinburgh born and bred, this fellowship, from the oldest College in the country and city of my birth, has particular personal significance. It symbolises the vital and growing connections between my own specialty of geriatric medicine and the surgical specialties – working together in preoperative, perioperative and postoperative care for the benefits of older patients all over the world.

Secondly, we will welcome Chancellor of the University of Stirling and former First Minister of Scotland Rt Hon Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale PC, who will take up office as the latest member to join the College’s Court of Regents. The Court of Regents is comprised of distinguished and accomplished individuals in their field who provide the College with advice and expertise. The concept of the RCSEd Court of Regents dates back to 1980, when College President at the time, Professor John Gillingham, noted the success of the Court in the Australasian College. Professor Gillingham discussed his idea for a Court of Regents with a Lord Kadoorie in Hong Kong, who agreed to become one of the first members. Initially ten members were elected, none of whom had medical backgrounds. Currently, the College has 6 active Regents and 8 Emeritus Regents.

Lord McConnell said of his installation as our newest regent:

Thank you to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh for this honour, which I was very happy to accept. I am looking forward to joining the RCSEd Court of Regents and supporting one of our top professional organisations in their important work across the world.

We look forward to welcoming Professor Elder, Lord McConnell and all our hardworking diplomates to celebrate this exciting milestone. We’re sure this will be the beginning of many extraordinary careers, helping drive the future of surgery and healthcare.

Diploma Ceremonies

The College

RCSEd Dental Ambassador Wins the William Houston Gold Medal in Orthodontics

An Update From the President