Institute
The BJS Institute provides a portfolio of accredited online surgical courses to complement BJS Academy.
These will be delivered by the University of Edinburgh from the Edinburgh Surgery Online team, renowned for their award-winning online masters programmes.

About us
This quality educational resource will be accessible on virtual learning environments (VLEs) supported by the University of Edinburgh. The courses will cover key pillars of surgical writing, editing, publishing and evidence based surgical practice.
- Prepare a quality manuscript for publication.
- Critically appraise a manuscript submitted for consideration for publication in a surgical journal.
- Develop the skills and experience to ensure surgical practice is undertaken with a clear understanding of best surgical practice in publishing.
For more information please contact: infosurgicalwriting@ed.ac.uk
Manuscript to publication
The credit from our part-time online surgical courses can be accumulated and contribute towards a Postgraduate Certificate in Surgical Writing and Evidence Based Surgical Practice which will commence in September 2023.
Writing in Surgery - launching April 2023
10 credits over 10 weeks
This course will enable students to construct a surgical paper and understand the fundamentals of publishing an article. A variety of activities will be employed to suit different learning styles and encourage an engaged, interactive and collaborative group of students who will be able to participate and contribute in a flexible manner.
Courses Under Development
Further courses under development will complement the Writing in Surgery course:
Reviewing the Evidence Base in Surgery, and Editing in Surgery - launching January 2024 (both courses)
Evidence Based Surgery - launching planned April 2024
These three additional courses will arm you with skills that enable you to write a paper and optimise publication strategies through understanding how to develop research questions, the principles of trial design and data analysis, and the editorial process.
Postgraduate Certificate in Surgical Writing and Evidence Based Surgical Practice - launching September 2023
The Writing in Surgery, Reviewing the Evidence Base in Surgery, Editing in Surgery and Evidence Based Surgery courses together provide you with the opportunity to secure a 60 credit Postgraduate Certificate qualification.
For more information please visit the website.
Course and support programme

Mr Martyn Evans
Course Lead and Editor, BJS
Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon and Associate Professor of Surgery, Swansea University
Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer, University of Edinburgh

O James Garden CBE BSc MB ChB MD DSc(hon) FRCSEd FRCPEd FRSE FRCSCan(hon) FRACS(hon) FACS(hon) FRCS(hon) FCSHK(hon) FRCSI(hon)
Professor Emeritus, Director, Edinburgh Surgery Online
Formerly, Regius Professor of Clinical Surgery, University of Edinburgh; Past Editor-in-Chief, HPB and Past Associate Editor, World Journal of Surgery

Dr Susan Morrow
Deputy Programme Director, Senior Lecturer, Edinburgh Surgery Online
BJS Society and the University of Edinburgh
The collaboration between the Society and the University of Edinburgh underpins the Academy’s mission to provide an accessible hub to support the professional development of surgeons worldwide.
The Society’s strategic partners can access academic opportunities provided by the Institute, as well as bursaries to offset course fees.

Edinburgh Surgery Online
In 2007, Edinburgh Surgery Online launched its first online masters programme. The pioneering three-year MSc in Surgical Sciences was established to support professional and academic development in the early years of surgical training. It was recognised for its innovation and excellence by the Queen’s Anniversary Award for Higher and Further Education in 2013.
The successful launch of a two-year ChM in General Surgery in September 2011 to support advanced surgical trainees was soon followed by ChM’s in Urology, Trauma and Orthopaedics, as well as Vascular and Endovascular Surgery. An MSc in Primary Care Ophthalmology and ChM in Clinical Ophthalmology were developed to support optometrists, other allied health care professionals and ophthalmologists in training. The most recent MSc in Patient Safety and Clinical Human Factors launched in 2018, recruiting a wide range of graduate health care professionals.
The highly popular programmes have enrolled over 500 students each year. A total of 2,423 students from 76 countries have registered across the eight online masters programmes, which have seen over 1000 students and trainee surgeons graduate. Global outreach has increased considerably in recent years and is now underpinned by a large scholarship programme. In 2021 this provided full funding to 70 postgraduate students in low- and middle-income countries.

Our people
The Society, Journals and Academy are managed by various teams of specialists, dedicated to delivering world-class surgical education.

Council of Management
The Board of Directors and Trustees have ultimate responsibility for the Society’s activities.

Executive Committee
The Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Vice Chairs oversee the Society’s activities day-to-day.

Sub-Committees
The Executive Committee, BJS Academy Committee and Charity Committee support the Council.

Editorial teams
Teams of experienced Editors manage and produce the Society’s journals.
Journals
The Society owns and publishes two surgical journals, BJS and BJS Open.
One of the most respected journals in the world, BJS provides a combination of scientific articles, reviews and critical commentary. Designed to complement BJS, BJS Open offers a similar range of content and allows authors to publish quality open access research.

BJS Academy team
The talented team behind the Academy bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to their roles.
The Academy website is managed by IT partners, Firefly Design Agency, a Content Management team coordinated by ACS Global and a Content Creation team managed by Jonothan Earnshaw.

Director
Jonothan Earnshaw manages and coordinates the activities of BJS Academy.

Content Creation team
Supporting the Director, this team creates the Academy’s educational resources.

Management team
This team supports the Director to deliver the strategy and manage the delivery of the Academy.