Partha Kar: The RCP leadership elections are an opportunity for a fresh start

Abstract

The year 2024 could be described as an annus horribilis for the Royal College of Physicians (RCP). There’s no question about the impact the debate around physician associates has had on the college’s reputation. In the broader scheme of things this could have been a minor issue, but the way it was handled has taken a toll—including a lack of transparency, a damaging extraordinary general meeting called by fellows, and the resignations of many senior leaders. Further problems have continued to brew, such as the recent disaster involving exams for membership of the RCP.1 Amid all this controversy, we can hope that the college’s 2025 elections will be a turning point. But it’s astonishing that, even in these fractious times, RCP members …