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A multiple award-winning consultant surgeon who has dedicated much of his career to the education and training of surgeons has been elected Vice-President at UK’s oldest surgical Royal College, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
Professor Rowan Parks is revered for his work in medical education and training, and his work in hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery; he has been recognised with multiple awards, distinctions and fellowships. Alongside becoming Vice-President of the five-hundred- year-old Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Professor Parks is also Professor of Surgical Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, President of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland, and Deputy Medical Director of NHS Education for Scotland.
Professor Parks says:
“I am delighted and truly honoured to be elected Vice-President of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, alongside Pala Rajesh – the College’s first Indian Vice-President. I have now been a Member of the College for two decades, and I am thrilled to have the privilege of taking the next step in moving forward the College’s vision and strategy; ensuring high standards in the delivery of education and training, as well as in the provision of high-quality surgical care.”
Professor Parks – who has won awards from a diverse range of bodies, including Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and British Medical Association – undertook all his surgical training in Northern Ireland, having grown up in Belfast. He qualified from Queen’s University in Belfast in 1999. As a consultant in liver and pancreatic surgery, he has contributed heavily to training of undergraduates and postgraduates in this area.
Two Vice-Presidents are elected each term, remaining in their positions for three years. They are nominated by Fellows and voted in with a ballot. Their role includes taking the Chair at meetings at which the President is unable to attend, and supporting the President in their role, alongside their own duties within the College.
The College’s new President-elect, Professor Michael Griffin, says:
“The College is delighted to have elected to appoint such a respected and applauded Vice-President. The honour is ours, and we very much look forward to the work Professor Parks will undertake towards continuing the promotion of high standards in surgical practices, education and assessment.”
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About The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
RCSEd was first incorporated as the Barber Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1505, and is the oldest surgical corporation in the world with memberships approaching 25,000 professionals in over 100 countries worldwide. The College promotes the highest standards of surgical and dental practice through its interest in education, training and examinations, its liaison with external medical bodies and representation of the modern surgical and dental workforce. It is also home to the UK’s only Faculty of Surgical Trainers, open to all those with an interest in surgical training regardless of College affiliation. Find RCSEd on Twitter www.twitter.com/RCSEd and on Facebook www.facebook.com/rcsed
The College is based at Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9DW and can be reached on (0)131 527 1600 or mail@rcsed.ac.uk. In March 2014, a new base opened in Birmingham, catering to the 80% of the College’s UK membership who are based in England and Wales.
For all media enquiries please contact the Communications Team on +447467 485145 or email comms@rcsed.ac.uk
