Centre for Professionalism in Medicine and Health Sciences

Report by Professor Denis Harkin, Chair of Medical Professionalism and Director of the Centre for Professionalism in Medicine and Health Sciences

Established in 2022, the RCSI Centre for Professionalism in Medicine and Health Sciences continues to lead in delivering evidence-based excellence in medical professionalism education across Undergraduate, Postgraduate and continuing professional education sectors. The Centre actively contributes to national and international advances in medical professionalism education, research and practice.

In 2025, we hosted the fifth RCSI Medical Professionalism Annual Conference, titled ‘Teamwork in Healthcare: Working together with Passion, Purpose and Professionalism’, which attracted over 850 attendees, both in-person at RCSI Dublin and online, from more than 40 countries worldwide. The programme featured a distinguished line-up of keynote speakers and panellists, including Ms Donna Ockenden (Maternity Inquiries), Dr Paul Crampton and Dr Millie Kehoe (General Medical Council Teamworking Report), Dr Paul Gaffney (Sports Ireland and Irish Olympic Team), Professor Eva Doherty (Human Factors in Patient Safety), Dr Michael Rosen (Teaming for Safety, John Hopkins University), Mr Simon Paterson-Brown (Non-Technical Skills, Edinburgh University) and Dr Suzanne Crowe (President, Medical Council, Ireland).

Our commitment to innovation includes the development of novel academic teaching and assessment strategies at both Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels. We are currently designing comprehensive assessment methods for the Personal and Professional Identity (PPId) curriculum, in collaboration with RCSI’s Resilience and Leadership leads. Our MSc/Postgraduate Diploma in Professionalism in Medicine and Health Sciences has now received full accreditation ahead of its planned launch in Autumn 2025.

Our research group continues to go from strength-to-strength, publishing 11 peer-reviewed manuscripts, including a systematic review, over the past academic year. Our four RCSI StAR MD research fellowships are ongoing, and our HEA North-South Research Programme Grant supporting the cross-border PROfessionalism in Partnership for Education Research (PROPER) study concluded successfully in February 2025.

Building on this work, we have taken the next steps to expand the PROPER study and establish a Medical Professionalism All-Ireland Research Hub. This initiative aims to address critical healthcare challenges such as medical errors and unprofessional behaviours through the development of innovative educational interventions.