Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh stands on Nicolson Street in the heart of Edinburgh. Its main campus centres on Surgeons’ Hall, a building that has housed surgical education and examinations for centuries. The complex includes museums, a medical library, a skills laboratory, a symposium hall, offices and the Ten Hill Place Hotel. A second UK office opened in Birmingham in 2014 and an international office in Kuala Lumpur in 2018. The college traces its origins to 1505 when the Barber Surgeons of Edinburgh received their royal charter. It remains one of the world’s oldest surgical corporations and maintains an unbroken list of fellows from 1581 to today. The college is worth the journey because it sets the standards for surgical and dental practice across the UK and beyond. It organises courses, examinations and continuous professional development for surgeons at every career stage. The Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons examination is taken by trainee surgeons in their first or second year. The college also runs programmes such as Non-Technical Skills for Surgeons and Edinburgh Surgery Online in partnership with the University of Edinburgh. Its Faculty of Dental Surgery is the largest, with almost 7,000 members worldwide and its own council. The Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care supports first responders, paramedics and other practitioners. Visitors to Surgeons’ Hall find museums that display surgical instruments and specimens alongside historical records. The medical library holds centuries of surgical literature and the skills laboratory contains modern training equipment. The Ten Hill Place Hotel offers accommodation within the campus. The college’s council, made up of office-bearers, elected members, a trainee and the Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery, governs the organisation. The building itself reflects its long history, with rooms used continuously for examinations and professional gatherings since the 16th century.