Current Awareness Updates

What are Updates?

The RCS provided a number of Specialty Bulletins as a College membership benefit between 2012-2016 and these have recently been rebranded as Updates.

Updates are concise email summaries of the latest evidence in a particular surgical field. They have been designed to support surgeons in their use of evidence, guidelines and new technology in their practice. Updates are sent to Fellows and Members every two months. The service was developed based on the feedback of RCS Fellows and Members.

Information Specialists select important and interesting article citations, guidelines and news items for each Update and sort these by topic within a given specialty, allowing highly specialised consultants to focus on their chosen subspecialty. Citations include a brief summary and link directly to the full text of the article, where covered by the College’s numerous subscriptions to e-journals. Each Update has a panel of Specialist Advisors, comprised of Fellows and Members in that specialty. Specialist Advisors help shape the Update for their specialty, providing professional knowledge, expertise and advice.

How can I use Updates?

Updates provide surgeons with an easy way to keep up-to-date with professional reading in their specialty and contribute to their continuing professional development (CPD) activities. Updates focus on current best evidence, supporting surgeons to improve patient care. Updates can be used to highlight areas for research and teaching and to help select reading for journal clubs.

When will I start receiving Updates in my specialty?

• Cardiothoracic – May 2017
• Plastic and Reconstructive - May 2017
• Trauma and Orthopaedics  - May 2017
• Emergency General Surgery – Summer 2017
• Urology – Summer 2017

Further details on launch dates for the following specialties will be available soon:

• Colorectal
• Vascular
• Paediatric Surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Otolaryngology

How can I make sure I receive Updates?

To ensure you receive the right Updates for your specialty, please follow these brief instructions to select your RCS account preferences.

Volunteering opportunities

We are currently recruiting for Specialist Advisors for the following specialties:

• Cardiothoracic
• Colorectal
• Paediatric
• Urology
• Vascular

Information on the role can be found within the role description. Interested Fellows and Members of the College are encouraged to apply for the role. Each Specialist advisor is awarded an annual certificate acknowledging their participation,that can be included in their annual appraisal documentation.

If you would like to apply to be a Specialist Advisor, please complete and return an expression of interest form to updates@rcseng.ac.uk.

‘I have thoroughly enjoyed contributing to the plastic [and reconstructive] current awareness bulletin since its inception. It keeps me up to date with my reading across the specialty. This makes me a better surgeon and academic’ – Matthew Gardiner, Honorary Clinical Lecturer in Plastic Surgery and Specialty Trainee.

Contact

If you would like further information about the Current Awareness Updates, please contact updates@rcseng.ac.uk, or telephone 020 7869 6555.