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  6. Scotland East Deanery

The Scotland East region covers the largest geographical area of any BAUS region, and serves a population of some 3 million people. It covers the eastern mainland of Scotland, numerous island groups and a significant portion of the western Scottish mainland, north of the river Clyde. 

There are currently 14 trainees in the programme, which provides broad experience in all aspects of both core and subspecialty urology and an active teaching curriculum.

 Email Katie Brodie (BSoT rep)

Training Centres

Placements are for one year, with a balance between district general hospitals, and teaching hospitals with tertiary subspecialty activity.  The training units are shown below: 

Scotland East hospitals involved in the deanery rotation are:
  • Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
  • Ninewells Hospital, Dundee (use the link below to email the TPD, Mr Andrew Martindale)
  • Perth Royal Infirmary
  • Queen Margaret Hospital, Fife
  • Raigmore Hospital, Inverness
  • St John's Hospital, Livingston
  • Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy
  • Western General Hospital, Edinburgh

Email the TPD, Mr Anrew Martindale (Ninewells Hospital, Dundee)

There are weekly teaching sessions, based at each larger centre. These are a mixture of trainee-delivered and consultant-delivered sessions. There are monthly training days where the trainees meet up all day and are exposed to simulation training, or didactic peer-to-peer or expert-led sessions. Viva practice for the FRCS Urol is an integral part of these events.

Training Programme

The East of Scotland Training Programme in Urology (ESTPU) provides trainees with a strong foundation in core urology, alongside good exposure to sub-specialty training in pelvic and upper-tract oncological surgery, andrology, reconstructive urology and complex endourology. Robotic surgery is now established in all centres, with good opportunities for involvement of the trainees.

ESTPU website

Paediatric urology is incorporated into the training programme via a three-month attachment to the paediatric surgery team (Aberdeen, Inverness)  or via established, strong links with the Royal Hospital for Sick Children (Edinburgh, Ninewells and Fife). Robotic surgery is well established in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, with good opportunities for involvement of the trainees.  The Scottish Lithotriptor Centre is also located in Edinburgh.  

An interim ARCP meeting occurs in November; this is a two-day event comprising FRCS viva practice, progress reviews and feedback sessions, as well as a dinner for trainees and trainers. The David Band Prize presentation session occurs on the second day, during which trainees present research and audit work. FRCS viva practice is also integrated into the monthly teaching days.

Trainees are encouraged to attend the annual Scottish Urological Society meeting, which offers a diverse social and professional programme. 

Teaching Programme

The teaching programme is based on the FRCS Urol curriculum. Training days occur on a monthly basis, offering a mix of Consultant and trainee-delivered teaching.

Simulation days in Dundee, Aberdeen and Fife incorporate training in laparoscopic, robotic and bladder outflow surgery simulators, and are very popular. There are additional opportunities to attend laparoscopic and ureteroscopic training courses in the Cuschieri Unit at Dundee, using cadavers.

Dundee Institute for Healthcare Simulation

East of Scotland trainees have traditionally performed well at the FRCS Urol, with the region having a Keith Yeates Medal winner in 2018.

In addition, there are several joint training days with the Scotland West Deanery, including sessions on non-technical skills and human factors, delivered via the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and the National Bladder Cancer day, held at the College.

Research and Audit

You'll be encouraged (and expected) to perform audit and research, leading to publication or presentation on a national basis.  There are excellent opportunities to get involved with formal urology research programmes  in Edinburgh, Dundee or Aberdeen, as well as in local departmental audits

Edinburgh has a strong history in basic science research, and has produced a number of academic urologists. Aberdeen has strong links with both the Health Services Research Unit, the EAU and the Cochrane collaborative, and many trainees are introduced to the international nature of urology by collaboration with these groups.

The Bottom Line

Scotland East offers an ideal training environment in an attractive and diverse part of the UK.

Edinburgh is a particularly beautiful, metropolitan environment, offering the benefits of many historic sites and major festivals (including The Fringe). Inverness, Dundee and Aberdeen are smaller cities with easy access to the beautiful countryside of Perthshire and the Cairngorms National Park.

The programme benefits from having access to both city centre teaching hospitals, and to large peripheral units that offer a complete range of urological training. 

The programme has links to international centres of excellence which provide opportunities for out-of-programme experience (OOPE). 

Contacts & admin info for Scotland East

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