Dr Nicholls elected to fellowship of RCOG

Dr. Camille Nicholls has been elected to Fellowship of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG).{{more}} Her election took place in May 2011, and the letter informing her stated “the council may elect to the fellowship such of the members of the college as are deemed to have advanced the science and/or practice of obstetrics and gynaecology or to have attained such position in the profession of medicine or other spheres as to merit the promotion.”

According to The College, the award of the Fellowship is not merely a reflection of the time interval since passing the membership examination, but it also implies a continued contribution to the specialty and maintenance of standards and practice. It is a mark of senior status and not a recognition of completion of training. Fellows are elected each year from the membership and should normally have been members for at least 12 years and have made a significant contribution to Obstetrics and Gynaecology through research, teaching or publications.

Along with the significant contribution to Obstetrics and Gynaecology, members are required to provide evidence of involvement in Continuing Medical Education (CME) through an appropriate locally based scheme, or through attendance at appropriate postgraduate meetings locally or elsewhere.

This year, 388 worldwide members were eligible for consideration for elevation to the Fellowship selection and only 191 were considered successful in their application.,In 1998, Dr. Nicholls was successful in her post graduate exams and became a Member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (MRCOG). She opted to remain in the United Kingdom to gain post graduate experience and entered a 2 year training programme in Edinburgh, Scotland.

In 2001, she was appointed as consultant at the then Kingstown General Hospital – a post she currently holds. Dr.Nicholls was instrumental in introducing the administration of steroids to pregnant patients who are at risk of going into early labour. Steroids help with the development of the fetus’s lungs and assist in combating Respiratory Distress Syndrome. She also implemented the screening for group B streptococcus (GBS) during the third trimester of pregnancy. This involves a High Vaginal Swab (HVS) being done between 32-34 weeks of gestation. GBS is an organism that is part of the normal flora of the genital tract in about 30% of women. If undetected and/or untreated, GBS can affect the baby during child birth, resulting in infection and, sometimes, death.

Dr. Nicholls currently lectures the 5th semester at Trinity University School of Medicine in obstetrics and gynaecology and was a Visiting Professor at the Kingstown Medical College from 2001 until their exit from St.Vincent and the Grenadines.

Apart from her hospital responsibilities and her practice at Victoria Medical Centre, Dr. Nicholls is the Medical Association’s representative on the General Nursing Council. She voluntarily gives of her time going to various groups educating them on woman’s health.

Dr. Nicholls attended the Admission Ceremony which took place on Friday, September 23, at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the United Kingdom. She is currently attending the 9th International Scientific Meeting in Athens, Greece.