Edinburgh Surgery Online

Run in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, the Edinburgh Surgery Online (ESO) suite of Postgraduate eLearning programmes offers a range of options for surgeons at various stages of their training.

Programmes Available

The programmes are designed to meet the needs of the modern health professionals in training.

Click on the links below to find out more:

2024 applications deadline: Friday 23 August


Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS)

The programmes are based on the UK Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum and provide the opportunity for trainees to select those advanced modules relevant to their declared subspecialty, and supports learning for the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) examinations. There are currently specialty specific ChM programmes for ChM in General SurgeryChM in UrologyChM in Trauma & Orthopaedic SurgeryChM in Vascular & Endovascular Surgery, and ChM in Clinical Ophthlamology.


Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS)

The MSc in Surgical Sciences supports the trainees' professional accreditation, as the first two years follow the UK Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme, thereby preparing students for the Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons (MRCS) examinations.


Patient Safety

The three-year part-time online MSc programme in Patient Safety and Clinical Human Factors was launched in 2018 in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, as part of the Edinburgh Surgery Online suite of Postgraduate eLearning programmes. The course aims to support all graduate healthcare professionals (ranging from nurses to surgeons and anaesthetists) in using evidence-based tools and techniques to improve the reliability and safety of everyday healthcare systems and processes.

For full details including eligibility and programme structure visit the Edinburgh Surgery Online website


Edinburgh Surgery Online Tutor

The role of the Edinburgh Surgery Online tutor involves actively engaging with students on asynchronous discussion boards typically spanning a period of five weeks. Support for students normally requires the tutor to log into the website no more than 2-3 times a week, each session lasting less than an hour.

Prior e-learning experience is not required, and you will receive support from module leaders, academic facilitators, and the administrative office of Edinburgh Surgery Online. CPD credit is provided by the RCSEd, and a modest stipend is available to cover any personal costs associated with supporting the programme.

Find out how to become an Edinburgh Surgery Online Tutor.


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