WHAT A ROYAL COLLEGE IS.

A Royal College in UK is a Royal sponsored training college with permission to use the prefix Royal . Although different institutions use  the prefix Royal, such as the three royal public Schools in Westminster, Winchester and Eton,  this term is usually applied to medical institutions.

The Royal Colleges enjoy a privileged position. The fact of being a member adds prestige for medical students. This institutions are in charge of establishing norms and supervising the specialized practical training of doctors but the General Medical Council (GMC) has the responsibility of standards.

Most Royal Colleges in UK and Ireland are members of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) and participate in international activities, specially The Royal College of General Practitioners, actively involved in international programs to provide family physicians with training quality and relevance. Together with the General Medical Council, the Royal Colleges award the Certificate of Completion Training which confirms the specialty.

Qualifications obtained as a member of a Royal College are recognized internationally and have the same value in  different countries: a Member of Royal College of Physicians in United Kingdom (MRCPUK) has the same  excellence certificate that a Member of Royal College of Physicians in Ireland (MRCPI). 

Main Royal Colleges:

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd, 1506)                                       

  • Faculty of Dental Surgery
  • Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine
  • Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care
  • Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (FSEM)
  • Intercollegiate Faculty of Surgical Trainers

Royal College of Physicians of London (RCP, 1518)

  • Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine
  • Faculty of Occupational Medicine (Independently a member of AoMRC)
  • Intercollegiate Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine (Independently a member of AoMRC)
  • Intercollegiate Faculty of Public Health (Independently a member of AoMRC)

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (RCPSG, 1599)

  • Faculty of Dentistry
  • Faculty of Physicians
  • Faculty of Podiatric Medicine
  • Intercollegiate Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine (Independently a member of AoMRC)
  • Intercollegiate Faculty of Public Health (Independently a member of AoMRC)
  • Faculty of Surgeons
  • Faculty of Travel Medicine

Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI, 1654)

  • Joint Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine of Ireland (joint with RCSI, College of Anaesthetists of Ireland and Intensive Care Society of Ireland)
  • Faculty of Occupational Medicine
  • Faculty of Paediatrics
  • Faculty of Pathology
  • Faculty of Public Health Medicine
  • Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine (joint with RCSI)
  • Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE, 1681)

  • Intercollegiate Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine (Independently a member of AoMRC)
  • Intercollegiate Faculty of Public Health (Independently a member of AoMRC)

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI, 1784)

  • Faculty of Dentistry
  • Joint Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine of Ireland (joint with RCPI, College of Anaesthetists of Ireland and Intensive Care Society of Ireland)
  • Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery
  • Faculty of Radiologists
  • Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine (joint with RCPI)
  • Institute of Leadership

Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS, 1800)

  • Faculty of Dental Surgery
  • Faculty of General Dental Practice

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC, 1929)

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG, 1930)

  • Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare

Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP, 1952)

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP, 1969)

Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath, 1970)

Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych, 1971)

Royal College of Radiologists (RCR, 1975)

  • Faculty of Clinical Oncology
  • Faculty of Clinical Radiology

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO, 1977)

Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP, 1979)

Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth, 1988)

Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA, 1992)

  • Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine
  • Faculty of Pain Medicine

Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH, 1996)

Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM, 2006)

Related publication: Foundation Programme and Medical Specialty Training.