On 5 November 2011, medical students from across the UK travelled to Edinburgh to take part in the Fourth Annual ATRIUM Conference

ATRIUM was established in 2008 by a group of medical students at the University of Edinburgh interested in research and academic medicine. The society continues to be student-run, but is fortunate to be supported by a number of Edinburgh academics.

Newcastle medical student Jonathan Cheung reviews Foundation Skills in Surgery, run jointly by ASiT and BOTA

The Foundation Skills in Surgery course is aimed at medical students and Foundation doctors aspiring to a career in surgery and gives participants grounding in basic surgical skills.

The Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT) expanded the geographic breadth of the course, now in its fourth year, to been run locally in Derby, Plymouth and London, as well as a pre-conference course in Sheffield.

The Future Orthopaedic Surgeons Conference, held at the College in July, equipped aspiring orthopods with information and advice about specialty training

While there are numerous surgical careers events aimed at medical students and junior doctors, it can be difficult for prospective trainees to get a feel for the current state of orthopaedic training and for what life is like as an orthopaedic surgeon. Providing this information was the aim of the Future Orthopaedic Surgeons Conference (FOSC), held on 29 July at the RCSEd.

Medical students and FY doctors were at the event for information on every orthopaedic subspecialty, as well as practical career advice covered over a series of 30-minute lectures by orthopaedic consultants and registrars. An impressive line-up of speakers, including Professor James Hutchinson, Mr David Allan, Mr Matt Moran, and Mr Angus Robertson, covered topics such as hip and knee surgery, training in Scotland, spinal surgery and sports injuries.

The Association of Surgeons in Training has provided a pan-specialty focus for excellence in surgical training for over 30 years

The Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT) is an educational charity working to promote excellence in surgical training across all nine surgical disciplines. Run by trainees, for trainees, the Association was originally founded in 1976 as a forum for senior registrars to meet socially and discuss matters relating to training. Over the past 30 years the Association has grown in size and stature and is now one of the largest surgical specialty associations in the UK and Ireland with over 2,200 current active members from all specialties.

The structure of ASiT Council consists of trainees from each recognised surgical specialty trainee group, and each School of Surgery. In recent years there has also been an expansion of ASiT’s junior representation through the appointment of dedicated medical student and foundation doctor representatives.

ASiT provides support for trainees’ educational and career development through a wide range of initiatives. Our two Covidien Travelling Fellowships awarded annually to senior trainees headline a number of awards and prizes to support individuals progressing through surgical training. ASiT also now offers many incentives for junior members including two Elsevier Surgical Elective Bursaries awarded annually, a dedicated ASiT conference session, a Foundation Doctors Surgical Essay Prize and an annual Foundation Doctors Seminar, which is free to members and prepares delegates for core surgical training applications.

The Association also works to support surgical trainers going the extra mile to help their trainees master the science and art of surgery. Now in its eleventh year, the annual Swann-Morton Silver Scalpel Award is a trainee-nominated prize for a consultant who has demonstrated excellence in surgical training. It provides important support and recognition for individuals who have put in the extra time for their trainees.