Minutes of the Combined Meeting of GOGS, UOGS, NOGS and EOS

Minutes of the Combined Meeting of GOGS, UOGS, NOGS and EOS Edinburgh - 10-12 April 2008

A combined meeting of the GOGS with the Ulster O&G Society, North of Scotland O & G Society and Edinburgh Obst Society was held in Edinburgh on 11.4.08.

The Ulster Society invited the 3 Scottish Presidents and their wives to an excellent dinner on Thursday 10.4.08 in the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh.

Dr Kennedy said Grace – in his usual manner. Professor Calder replied on behalf of the guests.

The Scottish societies presented Professor James Dornan, the Ulster President with a solid silver Quaich – the Celtic Quaich! It was suggested this may be used as an annual prize for the best presentation by a trainee at one of their meetings.

The Presidential badge of office of the GOGS was in fact presented to the Society in 1982 by the Ulster Society on a previous visit. Dr Kennedy did a little research on it. It was in fact designed by Graham Harron a jeweller from Hillsborough copying the insignia of the GOGS tie.

A scientific meeting was held on Friday 11.4.08 in the Chancellor’s Building of the new Edinburgh Royal Infirmary at Little France.

Each Society was responsible for a 90 minute session – a mixture of trainees’ presentations and an invited speaker.

The four invited speakers were Lord Patel representing the NOGS, Dr Charles Lockwood from Chicago for EOS, Professor Knox Ritchie from Toronto for the UOGS and Professor Michael Quinn from Melbourne for our own Society.

Each gave excellent presentations. Dr Lockwood had to deal with a power failure of their projection system. He continued without slides for his last twenty minutes. Many delegates felt this was the best bit of his talk.

The trainees who spoke on our behalf were:

Dr Kirstyn Brogan - ‘Prospective study of Intrapartum Fetal Blood Sampling’ Dr Rebecca Shields - ‘Uptake of diabetic pre-conception counselling in Ayrshire’ Dr Ina Sokolava - ‘Out-patient conservative management of prelabour rupture of membranes (PROM) at term: an audit cycle’

They spoke very well and fielded their questions with maturity. The Society should be proud of their efforts.

Dr Kennedy gave a vote of thanks to close the meeting.

A dinner and Ceilidh was held in the evening in Pollok Halls. A convivial night was had by all. The Glasgow representation was swelled by several members – suitably attired in tartan – who had travelled through for the evening.

During the meal we were entertained by a Mesmeriser who left us totally astounded by his trickery.

The Ulster contingent were still seen on the dance floor at 2.00 a.m.

The Irish contingent stayed on till Sunday having golf at Muirfield, a visit to Rosslyn Chapel and the Opera Madame Butterfly to fill their day.

Overall a very successful meeting with plans to repeat the event in two to three years.