The posts available for election include:

• Secretary
• Abdominal Wall representative
• Advanced cancer and peritoneal malignancy representative
• Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT) representative
• Education and Training representative
• Emergency General Surgery (EGS) representative
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Intestinal Failure (IF) representative
• JAG and Colonoscopy representative
• Research and Audit representative
• The Pelvic Floor Society representative
• Procotology representative
• Webmaster and Social Media Representative

Applications for more than one post are acceptable. All applications will be anonymised and put to the membership to vote after 2/10/2024. Voting will remain open until 16/10/2024 midnight.

To be eligible, applicants must be:

• Training grade doctor
• Dukes’ Club / ACPGBI Associate Member

To apply, please send the following details to president@thedukesclub.org.uk

• Name, ACPGBI Membership number, contact details including email & phone number

• 200-word anonymous personal statement. This should include your vision for the role and may include skills, attributes, previous experience, etc.

All applications will be reviewed centrally by the Dukes’ Club Secretary to ensure adherence to requirements. Applications will be anonymised by removal of all personal identifiers (name, email address, ACPGBI membership number).

For any further enquiries please email c.el-sayed@nhs.net.

Professor Lindsay Hall of the Quadram Institute gives the first broadcast – ‘An Introduction to the Microbiome’.

The paper is available to view here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/codi.15584

Abstract

Colorectal surgeons across the UK currently undertake a large proportion of routine diagnostic and therapeutic colonoscopy in most NHS Trusts. Meanwhile, the new UK General Surgical curriculum now includes an indicative requirement of 200 diagnostic colonoscopies for surgical trainees who have declared a colorectal subspecialty interest (hereafter termed ‘colorectal trainees’), indicating the JCST’s (Joint Committee on Surgical Training) commitment to colonoscopy training. However, several studies have reported a marked deficiency in colonoscopy training opportunities and accreditation for surgical trainees compared with gastroenterology trainees.

This broadcast from the ICENI Centre is presented by Fraser Smith, Consultant surgeon at The Royal Liverpool University Hospital. It also includes: an MDT case discussion of a near complete clinical response and how to deal with uncertainty; and critical comment by Tan Arulampalam and Greg Wynn.

There is a feedback form for viewers to post questions relating to the content of this series. Answers from the key speaker and/or consultant Greg Wynn are uploaded to the website on the final day of each month.

View the broadcast here

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every surgical trainee in some way whether that be in a professional or personal manner. There have been significant changes to surgical services and the clinical working environment, and many trainees have been redeployed and required to work outside their usual scope of practice.

The joint letter from ASiT and the 15 surgical trainee speciality associations regarding COVID-19 vowed to closely monitor its impact on surgical trainees and their training. During and after the pandemic has settled, real-world data will be a powerful and essential tool to advocate for trainees and influence training during the recovery phase.

So ASiT have collaborated with The Dukes’ Club, BSoT, PLASTA, AOT, Herrick Society, Roux Group, SCTS, BNTA, Mammary Fold, TriPS, BAPS, OMFS FiT and Rouleaux Club to design this survey to measure the impact of the COVID-19 situation on UK surgical training.

The survey is quick and important task to do – please take part!

Complete the survey here

We have supported junior members against the invocation of desirable criteria in ST3 applications for general surgery and having discussions with specialty trainee organisations regarding the impact of COVID-19 on peri-CCT trainees. A statement regarding this will follow shortly.

Should you have some downtime, please consider participating in the ASiT Robotic Surgery and Surgical Training Survey.

The Dukes’ Club advocates for colorectal trainees through ASiT’s seat on various national bodies and committees and we will continue to do so through these uncertain times.

This episode features Professor Gina Brown’ lecture on MRI assessment of the mesorectum: What are the factors that change outcome? With an MDT discussion and presentation from Professor Crafa of the General & Oncologic Surgery Unit, San Giuseppe Moscati National Hospital, Avellino and expert comment from Consultant Greg Wynn and Professor Tan Arulampalam.

Please follow the link to view for FREE now:

https://icenicentre.org/courses/controversies-in-rectal-cancer-series/online-broadcast-2/

Note: After the success of Broadcast 1 and the feedback received, we have added a section on the feedback form for viewers to post questions relating to the content of this series. Answers from the key speaker and/or Consultant Greg Wynn can be viewed on The ICENI Centre’s website, to be uploaded on the final day of each month.

During the course, delegates including medical students, foundation year doctors and core surgical trainees practised basic surgical and laparoscopic skills.

We would like to thank Ethicon, the clinical skills centre and the postgraduate medical centre at Addenbrookes Hospital for their support in running this course.

This episode features Consultant Ian Daniels’ lecture on how useful frailty assessment is in selecting treatments for rectal cancer, with an MDT panel discussion and expert critical comment from Consultant Greg Wynn and Professor Tan Arulampalam.

View the video here