Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT)

The Association of Surgeons in Training (ASiT) is a registered charity with the main objective to promote the highest standards in surgical training.

The Association was originally established in 1976 as a forum for senior registrars in surgery to meet socially and discuss training matters pertaining to surgical trainees. ASiT now counts numerous professional leaders and Royal College Presidents amongst its alumni.

The Association is the second largest surgical specialty association in the UK, with over 2,000 members. The ASiT Council has evolved over years and currently consists of a core committee, regional representatives and speciality representatives. The committee members comprise an executive committee of the President and Vice-Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer, Director of Education and Webmaster, as well as the members who sit on a wide variety of committees representing ASiT interests.

The regional representatives are the local contacts with ASiT and help to assist trainees within their regions with training issues, advice & support and in many cases, the occasional sponsored educational / recreational meeting.

There are also specialty representatives who do an invaluable job linking their sub-speciality view-point to the central hub of ASiT.

ASiT’s members come from all nine surgical specialties. The BNTA (The British Neurosurgical Trainees’ Association) is one of the groups well represented on the ASIT council.

The highlight of the year in ASIT’s programme of events is always the ASiT Annual Surgical Conference, with nearly 400 delegates attending a weekend of educational courses, lectures and topical debate on all aspects of surgery and surgical training.

ASiT represents the views of its membership through representation on the councils of the Surgical Royal Colleges, ISCP, JCST, and numerous other working parties and committees. Unlike many other junior doctor trainee groups, ASiT remains independent of the Surgical Royal Colleges and other professional medical organisations, and is run by trainees, for trainees.

The website for this group is www.asit.org. Application for online membership is possible for everyone with a surgical inclination, whether medical student, foundation year doctor, FTSTA, Staff Grade, STR or SpR.