Going places: Postgraduate paediatric education in Sri Lanka

It is not very often that one witnesses the occurrence of a seminal event that could vividly transform the very fabric of postgraduate pathways in medicine. This account is about such an event that took place on the 27th and 28th of May 2025 in Sri Lanka.

- BY DR B. J. C. PERERA

That occasion was the inaugural commencement of conducting the Final Part II Examination for the Membership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) of the United Kingdom, in Sri Lanka. It was the final hurdle before the bestowment of the much-acclaimed MRCPCH (UK) academic qualification in Paediatric Medicine; a well-recognised qualification all over the world. This initiative was commenced for the first time this year by the RCPCH of the UK, in collaboration with the Sri Lanka College of Paediatricians (SLCP). These two academic colleges have had formal academic alliances for over 25 years, virtually from their inception in 1996. The SLCP was inaugurated on the 7th of June 1996, and the Charter that granted Royal Status was bestowed on the RCPCH, becoming operational in October 1996.

The Final Part II MRCPCH Examination of 2025 was conducted at the Academic Centre of the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine of the University of Colombo. The examination was handled by a team of 8 examiners from the United Kingdom, 6 examiners from India and Nepal, as well as examiners from Sri Lanka. All these examiners worked in tandem and were committed to the collaboration. The Sri Lankan examiners were Professor Shaman Rajindrajith, Dr Kumudu Weerasekera, Dr Anoma Abeygunawardena, Professor Sachith Mettananda, Professor Heshan Jayaweera, Dr Wathsala Hathagoda and Dr Tharindi Suriapperuma. The entire examination process was ably supported in the necessary logistical details by a capable squad of Senior Registrars, Registrars and Pre-Intern Medical Graduates from Sri Lanka.