On 16th March 2024, I had the pleasure of representing the University of Dundee (and ScotGEM) at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh & Medtronic Surgical Skills Competition Grand Final. However, this was only the last stage in a competition that started back in November.
The first round involved online multiple choice questions, with the five highest-scoring students from each medical school moving on to the next round. For this we received a suturing kit and a realistic organ-like suturing pad.
After having a few weeks to practice various sutures, we then had to film ourselves suturing bananas and submit them for scoring. The highest scoring student from each medical school was then invited to the Grand Final at the Royal College in Edinburgh.
Prior to the Grand Final, the Royal College were kind enough to put us up in the college’s hotel and hold a three-course dinner the night before. After some last-minute practice suturing bananas in the hotel room, it was on to the Grand Final.
The Grand Final was split into two parts: a free tour of the Surgeon’s Hall Museum (something I’d inevitably paid to go to the previous year) and the ten OSCE-style surgical skills stations. Being in the group that got the tour first meant the chance to practice on the museum’s laparoscope.
The stations were fun and challenging and offered an opportunity to talk with consultant surgeons who looked on as you did your best not to mutilate your banana. We were paired up with another finalist and moved through the stations together, quickly building rapport through the shared experience.
After the Final, there was a lunch reception in the Royal College’s library, allowing us to talk with other students and surgeons and decompress from what had been an enjoyable but intense morning.
I thoroughly enjoyed the competition and would recommend that medical student consider entering. While ScotGEM does have a focus on rural generalism, surgical skills are incredibly important in this context. If I was the only doctor on a remote island, I’d feel a lot more comfortable knowing how to suture than not.
Lewis is a current third year ScotGEM student based in Dumfries & Galloway