Overview
Basic Surgical Skills is a popular two-day intercollegiate course, designed for trainees anticipating a career in surgery and preparing for basic surgical examinations. The course is led by Dermot Murphy MB BCh BAO FRCSI FRCS (Gen Surgery) BMinistry, Consultant Breast Surgeon.
Junior trainees are expected to perform a range of basic surgical skills prior to commencing specialty surgical training. These skills are tested at the MRCS Part B OSCE Examination, where trainees are assessed on their clinical and procedural skills.
The Basic Surgical Skills course aims to teach safe operating techniques and stresses the importance of precautions for safe theatre practice.
Important information
To help support your training journey all delegates enrolling on this course will automatically receive 30% off any further MRCS Preparation Course. Please contact the course coordinator for further details.
Learning outcomes
By attending this course, you'll be able to:
- Explain the principles of good theatre etiquette.
- Understand correct surgical equipment handing.
- Demonstrate appropriate gowning and gloving in line with recommended standards of practice.
- Understand the variety of knots and how to tie them reliably.
- Suture a range of tissue types.
- Perform abscess draining and contaminated wound debridement.
- Demonstrate basic techniques for small bowel, vascular and tendon anastomosis.
- Understand a basic diathermic technique.
Who is this course for?
The Basic Surgical Skills course is aimed at junior trainees who are:
Anticipating a career in surgery
Preparing for basic surgical training examination
Attending the course
This event is an in-person course. That means you get the chance to join us at the College where you’ll benefit from state-of-the-art facilities, as well as lunch prepared by our award-winning chefs.
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow is conveniently located in Glasgow City Centre, within easy reach of major train stations, motorways and airports. Hotel and parking discounts can be accessed after booking.
Find out more about the best way to get to us.
Claiming your CPD
This course offers 12 CPD points for everyone who attends. This can be claimed via your College account. CPD points will be available for up to one month after the course. Where the course has been recorded, these sessions will also be available. If you have any questions about claiming your CPD points, our Education team are happy to help.
What happens on the day?
Click to view the programme or download the pdf.
08:00
- Registration, refreshments and faculty meeting
08:30
- Introduction and statement of course objectives
- Assessment overview
08:35
- Gowning and gloving
- Gown and glove application and removal
08:45
- Knots
- One-handed reef knot and surgeon’s knot instrument tie and tying at depth
10:00
- Handling instruments
- Scissors, haemostats, forceps and scalpel
10:15
- Break
10:30
- Suturing techniques*
- Needles and incisions
- Interrupted sutures, simple and mattress sutures, sub-cuticular suture
12:00
- Skin lesions and local anaesthetic techniques
- Techniques for tissue dissection
- Application of local anaesthetic
- Excising a skin lesion and sebaceous cyst
13:00
- Lunch
13:45
- Ligation/transfixion
- Pedicle transfixion, continuity tie, pedicle tie
14:30
- Tissue handling 1
- Bowel: end-to-end interrupted anastomosis (hand tied knots, no assistance)
15:30
- Break
15:45
- Tissue handling 2
- Abscess drainage (no assistance)
16:00
- Tendon Repair
- Assisted
16:50
- Discussion and feedback*
17:15
- Close
08:15
- Registration, refreshments and faculty meeting
08:30
- Reprise of knot tying
- Common faults
09:00
- Tissue handling 3
- Abdominal closure and drain insertion (assisted)
- Aberdeen knot, drain insertion, continuous suture, the art of assisting
10:15
- Break
10:00
- Handling instruments
- Scissors, haemostats, forceps and scalpel
10:15
- Break
10:45
- Group 1: Laparoscopic skills (2 hours)
- Group 2: Vascular anastomosis (1.5 hours, followed by OSATS)
12:45
- Lunch
13:15
- Heritage tour
14:00
- Group 1: Vascular anastomosis (1.5 hours, followed by OSATS)
- Group 2: Laparoscopic skills (2 hours)
16:00
- Break
16:15
- Tissue handling 4
- Debriding a traumatic wound
16:45
- Discussion & Feedback*
17:00
- Close
Key information
Member: £525
Non-member: £580
Either scroll to the top of the page or use the links in the upcoming dates tab to select the desired date and book your place.
Here's what our previous attendees said
"I enjoyed the format of videos/discussions and then practical stations."
"A good introduction to the basic surgical skills that would be required across a range of surgical specialties."
"The course objectives were met to a great extent, a very engaging learning experience."
Gallery
Basic Surgical Skills Course at our College, showcasing participants engaging in hands-on training and collaborative learning.




If you have any questions, feel free to contact the coordinator. Their details can be found below.

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