Once a year the rotation meets for its annual academic day – the Lipmann Kessel Award Day. In honour of the famous war surgeon whose name it carries, this event allows all trainees an opportunity to submit their research and compete for the award, judged by our training programme director and invited guests. Previous venues have included the Royal College of Surgeons, The Royal Society of Medicine and Chelsea Football Club. The event is industry-sponsored and delivered at low cost to trainees.
The programme usually includes aspects of the curriculum that may be difficult for trainees to access such as research methodologies, or Good Clinical Practice. All consultants from the rotation who contribute to training are invited to attend the day itself or the dinner in the evening. A guest speaker of interest is invited to deliver the keynote lecture during the academic day, and a senior consultant is invited to deliver a less reverent after dinner talk in the evening. The Trainer of the Year is canvassed from trainee votes during the academic year, and announced at the Lipmann Kessel evening.
