Commentary magazine

Interview: meet the new vice president for education and training

Earlier this year, Dr Dan Furmedge was elected as RCP senior censor and vice president for education and training (VPET) and will formally take on the role later this year. As a consultant physician in geriatric and internal medicine at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, with experience as a college tutor, training programme director, PACES examiner and, most recently, RCP censor, he will bring a wealth of experience to the role.

Interview

06/05/26

Interview: what it means to be a censor

Dr Anita Banerjee is an obstetric physician, a diabetes and endocrinology consultant and an honorary reader in obstetric medicine at King’s College London. For the last 3 years, she has worked as an RCP censor. As her term comes to an end, she shares her experience in the post with Commentary – and encourages RCP fellows to apply.

Features

June welcome: Professor Ollie Minton

I am a big fan of opera, even with its improbable coincidences, plot twists and sometimes unnecessary tragedy. The foolhardy prince in Turandot is saved only by the ‘heroics’ of act 3 (Nessun Dorma) – its subsequent crossover into the footballing world zeitgeist at the 1990 World Cup was a surprise. In retrospect it could feel like an AI artifice, but we know came from years of mastering the craft and expert teamwork – plus some inspired marketing with the three tenors.

From recognition to progression: strengthening SAS careers through specialist roles

Specialist, associate specialist and specialty (SAS) doctors are an essential part of today’s medical workforce, yet their roles, career pathways and senior potential are still inconsistently understood. By bringing together the perspectives of four specialist doctors, and exploring the value that they bring to services, we hope to shed light on what these specialist roles look like in practice – and how doctors and employers can enable progression into these posts.

Commentary news round-up: June 2026

Since the last edition of Commentary in April, the RCP has been working to represent our members and support the work of physicians. Read our summary of the news from the last 2 months and the upcoming opportunities.

Spotlight on the Medicine 2026 abstract competition

As part of the RCP annual conference, we hosted the Medicine 2026 abstract competition, welcoming authors from all career grades to showcase their ideas and hard work to the RCP community.

Adopt a treasure: early impact and inspiring stories from our supporters

Earlier this year the RCP launched ‘Adopt a treasure’, inviting members, fellows and friends of the RCP to play a direct role in preserving the extraordinary history of medicine. Find out about the ongoing conservation work.

AI and digital: how physicians are impacted

Dr Anne Kinderlerer, the RCP’s digital health clinical lead and the report’s main author, speaks to Commentary about the NHS analogue to digital shift, and how digital and AI tools can be implemented in a way that is safe and effective for patients and clinicians.

Call the medical registrar: how to put together a conference

Transitioning from a resident doctor to a medical registrar role can be an exciting but intimidating step.

June welcome: Professor Mumtaz Patel

Welcome to this new edition of Commentary. It was wonderful to see so many physicians gathering at the RCP in London for our flagship conference in May. Medicine 2026 brought together hundreds of physicians, and it was lovely to have the chance to meet so many of our members and fellows.

05/06/26

Viewing Medicine 2026 conference through the lens of improvement

Dr Aklak Choudhury, clinical director for RCP Improvement, is a respiratory physician and medical director for improvement, innovation and research at University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust. He reflects on some of the sessions that he attended at our recent RCP Medicine 2026 conference, and on the opportunities that they highlight for improvement work.

International

Hear about the work of RCP from across the globe.

International

Building capacity in Iraqi medical education and healthcare: the establishment, achievements and future vision of the RCP Iraq Network (2021–31)

Dr Shakir Mahmood Muhammed, consultant respiratory physician and member of the RCP Iraq Network steering committee, shares the achievements and the future of the RCP Iraq Network.

International