The College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka was established in 1971 by its Founder President
Dr. P. Being the only professional body for practicing surgeons, The College has grown through the years and today consists ofPresident, President Elect,Vice President,Secretary, Treasurer and over 30 Council members elected annually. Practicing surgeons can obtain a life time membership provided they have completed the MS Surgery Part 2 examination, Board certifiable/ certified as surgeon specialist. Currently the college has a 400 plus membership of Surgeons in all surgical disciplines. Being an apex surgical professional body, The College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka is prestige to have all other subspecialty Associations under its wing, namely, Sri Lanka Orthopaedic association, Sri Lanka Association of Urological Surgeons, Sri Lanka Association of Gastroenterlogy, Sri Lanka Association of Cardiothoracic Surgeons, Sri Lanka Association of Neurosurgeons, Sri Lanka Association of Plastic Surgeons and Sri Lanka Association of Paediatric Surgeons. Playing its main role as an academic center for surgical education, The College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka hosts a number of activities throughout the year. The hallmark event of the College, The Annual Academic Sessions is held in the month of August with over 400 attendees, providing the much awaited opportunity for both local and international surgeons to gather knowledge at the lectures, symposiums and orations held at this 4 day yearly event. The College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka hosts period workshops for Trainee Surgeons and Nurses. Some of the workshops are organized in conjunction with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the other Medical Associations.These specialized workshops are targeted towards Doctors and Nurses who are stationed in rural parts of Sri Lanka, where training programmes are lesser conducted due to inadequate or non-existent facilities.The Ministry of Health notifies Hospitals Island wide of the related specialty workshop, enabling interested participants to apply. General regular scheduled annual and monthly instructional courses are also conducted at the college. National Trauma Management Course (NTMC) This course in conducted in 3 monthly intervals. With an international course material syllabus, many practicing & trainee surgeons attend this 2 day course to obtain first hand practical and theoretical knowledge in handling trauma. The attendance per course has an average of 40-50 participants and each participant is given a certificate at the end of the course. MD Surgery Part 1 & 2: The MD course & examination is conducted at the College with local and international applicants in attendance. Averages of over 30 participate for the MD Part 1 course held over a period of 6 weeks. Surgical Education and Training Session (SETS) Course: Held every first Saturday of each month, specialty discussions and workshops are carried out at the college premises for practicing and trainee surgeons. This course is simultaneously broadcasted on the internet enabling Karapitiya, Peradeniya and Jaffna General hospitals to participate in the workshop online. The International Intercollegiate MRCS exams of UK have also been an integral part of the college’s academic agenda, and these examinations have been conducted since 2005 by the Royal College of Surgeons of England and by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh since 2011. Assisting surgeons in career enhancement in way of foreign employment is also carried out by the College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka. Letters of recommendation and confirmation of membership are issued on request (upon council approval). Thus enabling surgeons to broaden their prospects and horizons while progressing in their career as a surgeon. The College is strongly involved with the MOH and the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) by evaluating medical practitioners (local, overseas) who apply for temporary registration as a surgical specialty for various purposes. It also played a major role in contributing to the development of the specialist registry of the MOH in collaborate with the other sister organizations. The College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka assists the Ministry of Health by a pivotal role in evaluating and approving surgical material and instruments for use in the industry. The evaluation committee consists of consultant surgeons who are members of the college and approved by the college council. A large number of files are evaluated each month by these surgeons and approved or rejected on their recommendation. In addition to approval of surgical instrumentation, The College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka participates in all academic and health service meetings conducted at the Ministry of Health. The College has also, constantly involved in arising its members in their professional interpersonal conflicts instructional differences and professional conduct. Thus College of Surgeons has and continues to provide professional and academic assistance to the field of Surgery in Sri Lanka. And in its expansion, hopes to facilitateits member in CPD, by means of, many more professional examinations, workshops and events both national and international.
