The winners of the prestigious Canavan Medal and Reuben Harvey Prizes were announced at a special ceremony at No. 6 Kildare Street during the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland’s Annual Conference on 21 October 2026.
The Canavan Medal
This prestigious award is given to the doctor who scored the highest marks in the MRCPI General Medicine examination, demonstrating outstanding knowledge and skill in passing every component of the membership examination on their first attempt. This year’s recipient of the Canavan Medal is Dr Ailbe Keane.
The award honours the late Dr Desmond Canavan, an esteemed past President of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) and a former Director of Examinations. The Canavan Medal is awarded annually at the discretion of the President of the college and on the recommendation of RCPI Examiners.
The Reuben Harvey Prize
RCPI also awards the Reuben Harvey Prize annually to students who achieve the highest marks in their class for final year examinations in Medicine, Surgery and Obstetrics.
This year, we’re delighted to congratulate for the first time winners of the Reuben Harvey Prize from University of Ulster and RCSI Medical University of Bahrain.
This year’s recipients are:
- Dr Tara Boylan, Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland (RCSI)
- Dr John Keaney, Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland (RCSI)
- Dr Eve Lehane, Royal College of Surgeons (RCSI)
- Dr Shauna McBride, Queen’s University Belfast
- Dr Aoibhinn King, University of Galway
- Dr Philippa Harold-Barry, University College Cork
- Dr Sinead McGoldrick, Trinity College Dublin
- Dr Dónal Healy, University College Dublin
- Dr Abdulrahman Turky K Alrujaib, RCSI Medical University of Bahrain
- Dr Aoife O'Donnell, Ulster University
- Dr Niamh McKerr, Ulster University
- Dr Adrienne Soon Yen Ee, RCSI & UCD Malaysia Campus
- Dr Josey Legallais, University of Limerick
The Reuben Harvey prize was established in 1882 in memory of Dr Reuben Joshua Harvey, anatomist and physiologist who died in 1881 at the age of just 36.