The College is Lead Partner in a touring exhibition which is an official part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad

With more than 15,000 of the world’s greatest athletes, from over 200 countries, competing in 304 events, London 2012 was the greatest show of athleticism on earth.

During the Olympic and Paralympic Games elite athletes achieved record-breaking increases in speed, stamina and strength. But how much of this would be possible without innovations and developments in sports medicine?

The last 200 years has seen phenomenal advances in technology and training techniques together with a greater understanding of the body. Human Race is an innovative and exciting exhibition that explores the pivotal role Scotland played in these developments. It will be on display at the City Art Centre, Edinburgh until 9 September 2012.

College Vice President, Ian Ritchie reflects on the highlights and challenges of his decade on the RCSEd Council

Looking back over 10 years on the Council of the College is an interesting process. Apart from the obvious fact that I have aged 10 years, which is clearly apparent from the photograph, I see from the original article that my main topics of interest were basic surgical training as Chair of the ICBST and helping consultant trainers develop their skills as teachers. I also made a comment about closer intercollegiate working. These are still relevant themes today.

Vice President George Youngson looks at the current status of remediation issues

 My article ‘Restoring fitness’ appeared in the July 2002 edition of this magazine. Based on the theme of remediation, it provided a snapshot of fitness to practice issues at that time. Ten years later, and it may appear that there has been little progress in the remediation process for those considered to be under-performing on either a consistent or episodic basis. Indeed, the proposal from the General Medical Council that revalidation was to be implemented in a five yearly cycle started as a working party proposal in 1998 and the expectation was that by 2002 revalidation or ‘recertification’ would be imminent. This same expectation/promise exists 10 years later except that the proposal is now part of an emerging legislative framework and that should reach completion of the statutory process by the end of 2012.

Ten years after Surgeons’ News first discussed low morale in medicine, John Duncan looks at the ups and downs of job satisfaction

 It is a truth universally acknowledged that each ageing generation thinks that life was better years ago. As far as I can see, there has always been a feeling that in the profession morale was low. There has always been an idea that life was better in golden halcyon days where all patients were treated well, career progression was guaranteed, management was cooperative and benign, resources were plentiful and we never had to get up at night. I don’t think those days ever existed and the problems in 2012 are simply different from the ones that prompted Donald MacLeod’s piece in the first Surgeons’ News.

The issues in 2002 were said to be organisational change, loss of control over individual practice, a ‘name and shame’ culture and medico-political conflict. I think some of these still pertain and others have appeared since. I suspect the problems we see within the profession now appear simply somewhat different, depending on where the individual is within the career spectrum.

Trainees are concerned about the gap between core and specialist training and the prospects for obtaining and keeping a consultant post. Established consultants in the earlier years are concerned about the prospects of having to work to 67, 68 or older and those in the final years of their consultant life are concerned about the shape of the NHS that they may need to use as consumers.