National Education Day: Trainees hear perspectives on journeying in, out of (and back into) medicine
Different perspectives on journeying into, through, and out of medicine were heard at RCPI National Education Day - an important annual event organised by RCPI Trainees Committee that allows college trainees to showcase their talents and achievements in research.
The event held at No 6 Kildare Street on 23 May began with Dr Alessandra Biagini, Chair of RCPI Trainees Committee, introducing this year’s theme “The Long and Winding Road” – a title referring to unexpected twists in doctors’ careers.
“Together, we have pushed medical education in ways for years to come,” said Dr Biagini, congratulating her fellow trainees on their achievements in research. “Thank you to the Trainees Committee, the fuel in the engine.”
The day began with a presentation by Dr Ronan Murphy (emergency medicine consultant, St. James’s Hospital) sharing his own journey through medical education, having left an undergraduate pharmacy course to pursue medicine instead. Dr Murphy has since diversified his career; in addition to being a doctor, he also works a pilot. “You meet people who have deferred their passions being tied to a specific career trajectory,” he says, about following traditional, linear career paths. He referenced a recent Forbes article arguing why non-linear careers are the future of work. “It’s about how evolving values and passions, and where you’re at in various stages in your life, can be incorporated,” he said.
Dr Murphy acknowledged that sometimes doctors choose to leave medicine. He referenced an American Medical Association (AMA) article from 2016, identifying high rates of physician burnout according to a Mayo Clinic study. “Maybe it’s an attempt to find meaning in life, to re-energise and explore new frontiers. Maybe it’s the chance to grow personally because we’ve been growing professionally for so many years.”
He encouraged trainees to think of transferable skills they pick up from moving between different hospital sites as part of their training. “We are quite adaptable from our moving around in our training. I know some people don’t like that, but I think it’s a good thing.”
Another journey through medicine was given by Dr Niall Conroy (public health physician, HSE Dublin and South-east). Back in 2003, when he was stuck by the alarming HIV rates in Johannesburg, Dr Conroy worked in South Africa, specialising in neonatology. He later trained in public health medicine in Australia, after which he accepted a job in Sierra Leone. On arrival there, he observed that infant patients were rarely seen in the wards – the hospital wasn’t perceived as a safe place for infant care. Dr Conroy convinced management to open a neonatal unit.
Dr Conroy helped develop the hospital’s neonatal unit. The region was frequently hindered by electricity outages and weak energy infrastructure. In 2017, after tweeting a post about losing three oxygen-dependent patients due to an outage, he received offers of assistance from energy companies. Solar energy panels were installed, improving facilities for heat, light and oxygen.
“What I want to illustrate for people interested in working in the global south, it really is a team sport,” said Dr Conroy. “We went from seeing 10 babies a month in 2013, to 150 babies a month in 2017.”
A presentation was given by Dr Mohammed Hamza (emergency medicine consultant, St. Vincent’s University Hospital), who’s a former president of the Irish Emergency Medicine Trainees’ Association (IEMTA), and gave a perspective as an emergency medicine doctor.
Trainees were audience to a Battle of the Specialties debate by a panel of clinicians, each making cases for their specialties. All speakers addressed concerns for doctors’ work-life balance, and spoke to the satisfying depth and interest of their specialities, while also flagging challenges facing their areas of medicine. In alignment with the event’s theme (by sheer coincidence) nearly the entire panel admitted to unexpected twists in their journeys through medicine, having originally pursued a different speciality they thought was right for them, before realising their passion lied somewhere else.
TRAINEE AWARDS
Each year at National Education Day, the Trainee Awards recognise trainee achievements in communication, improvements in patient care and specialist education and training, and research.
Award applicants present their research, with abstracts selected for both oral presentation and poster presentation. Winners are selected by a judging panel of clinicians.
CORRIGAN AWARD
Named after past RCPI President Sir Dominic Corrigan (1859-1863), the Corrigan Award recognises the best Basic Specialist Training (BST) case study in competition. It recognises excellence in communication - the ability to identify complicated and challenging aspects of patient histories and communicate what we can learn from them. The winner receives an educational grant worth €1,000
Oral presentations began with Dr Sally Kemp (BST General Internal Medicine, Cork University Hospital), who presented the case of a 31-year-old male referred to Ophthalmology, and known to have malignant hypertension. After investigation, with the patient diagnosed with thrombotic microangiopathy due to vitamin B12 deficiency, Dr Kemp stressed the importance of understanding metabolism in an age group where malignant hypertension is incredibly rare.
Dr Farkhanda Qaiser (BST General Internal Medicine, Naas General Hospital), presented on the case of a 40-year-old man who in childhood was diagnosed with slowly progressive neuropathy. Genetic testing confirmed an undiscovered, inherited fatty acid oxidation disease, leading to a diagnosis of mitochondrial trifunctional protein deficiency, to be treated by dietary modification. Dr Qaiser said to consider metabolic bloods during unexplained neuromyopathic decompensations.
The winning case study was by Dr Niamh Kyne (BST General Internal Medicine, Beaumont Hospital) who shared how the investigation of a 76-year-old woman with a history of Parkinson’s Disease introduced her to nerve conduction studies. After testing, it was concluded that patient’s use of Leflunomide – a disease-modifying agent for rheumatoid arthritis – was a factor in diagnosing subacute peripheral neuropathy. Dr Kyne said her key learning was that neuropathy can sometimes be drug-induced.
DAVID MITCHELL AWARD
The David Mitchell Award recognises audits that improve patient care and/or specialist education and training. The winning trainee, or team of trainees, receives an educational grant worth €1,000 for a single Trainee (or €1,500 for a team of trainees).
Oral presentations began with Dr Cian Murray (BST General Internal Medicine), who conducted an audit on thrombolysis rates at St. James’s Hospital. Using the hospital’s ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) database, Dr Murray identified opportunities for delayed treatment – particularly during travel time for patients being transported from hospitals outside Dublin. His research concluded that patients be recommended thrombolysis prior to transfer.
Dr Babar Shehzad (BST General Internal Medicine, Letterkenny University Hospital) shared an audit conducted while working in Beaumont Hospital, reviewing the appropriateness of requesting Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiography (CTPA) imaging for suspected pulmonary embolism.
The winning audit was conducted by Dr Rionagh Lynch (BST General Internal Medicine, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital), which reviewed adherence to guidelines for follow-up chest radiographs for pneumonia patients in Our Lady’s Hospital Navan. Dr Lynch reviewed admission lists and radiology reports, and found that of 40 patients admitted per month, 14 didn’t have a follow-up chest x-ray. As intervention, Dr Lynch collaborated with the hospital’s medical records department to amend the discharge summary template, to include a “Follow-up Investigations” section in the discharge form. Upon reaudit, the number of patients without follow-up x-rays dropped from 14 to 4.
WILLIAM STOKES AWARD
Awarded by RCPI Trainees Committee, the William Stokes Award recognises research of the highest standards carried out by trainees in Higher Specialist Training (HST) or International Clinical Fellowship Programme (ICFP). The winning trainee receives an educational grant worth €4,000
Dr Gillian Corbett (HST Obstetrics & Gynaecology, The National Maternity Hospital) gave an oral presentation about a randomised controlled trial, exploring the effect of the bacterium Bifidobacterium breve 702258 on metabolic disease in pregnancy.
A presentation by Dr Sile Kelly (HST Public Health Medicine) compared an epidemiological analysis of early-onset colorectal cancer in Ireland with an analysis of later-onset colorectal cancer, between 1994-2021.
The winning presentation was by Dr Adam Dyer (HST Geriatric Medicine, Tallaght University Hospital), who showed how blood-based biomarker Plasma p-Tau217 is effective in detecting Alzheimer Disease pathology in older adults. From a research project recruiting 148 participants, Dr Dyer found that biomarkers can be considered an alternative to lumbar punctures, and could be used to avoid a high number of the procedure.
DOROTHY STOPFORD PRICE MEDAL
Honouring Dorothy Stopford Price (1890-1954), a pioneer in infectious disease control in Ireland, this medal was introduced in 2018. The medal recognises excellence in research or audit on vaccination, immunisation or control of infectious diseases and its potential impact on public health. The winner receives an educational grant worth €1,000, funded by RCPI Faculty of Public Health Medicine.
Oral presentations began with Dr Karen O'Neill (HST General Paediatrics, Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin), who investigated required vaccine titres for children who completed chemotherapy. As the patient cohort showed high rates of loss of immunity due to chemotherapy, Dr O’Neill questioned whether there was a case for revaccination, per compliance with NIAC guidance. Reviewing post-chemotherapy vaccinations for 300 leukaemia patients at CHI Crumlin between 2006-2016, Dr O’Neill found a very poor rate of revaccinations in this cohort, risking high rate of immunity loss. Dr O’Neill’s recommendation was for NIAC vaccine recommendations to become included in patients’ post-treatment referrals to GPs.
An audit of compliance with isolation guidelines for COVID-19 close-contacts at Mercy University Hospital Cork was conducted by Dr Shane McCarthy (BST General Internal Medicine, University Hospital Kerry Tralee). Last year, the hospital’s infection prevention team made a case for reducing the hospital’s isolation period from 5 days to 3 days. In his review, Dr McCarthy found that of 116 close contacts identified by the hospital during 2023, 40 subsequently tested positive. Only four of these close-contacts tested positive for the first time after five days. Dr McCarthy encouraged use of local evidence to inform local infection control practice, and Mercy University Hospital Cork subsequently reduced isolation time to 3 days.
The winning presentation was by Dr Michael Hanrahan (HST Public Health Medicine, Dr Steeven’s Hospital) who evaluated the recently introduced Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Immunisation Pathfinder Programme. The programme was introduced upon authorisation of Nirsevimab, an antibody now available to provide passive immunity for approximately 150 days. Dr Hanrahan compared RSV infections in the winter of 2023/24 with the winter of 2024/25, finding a 65% reduction in cases associated with RSV, due to newly introduced Nirsevimab injection.
ARTHUR EAKINS AWARD
Named after Occupational Medicine physician Arthur Eakins (1932-2022), this award was introduced in 2024 by RCPI Trainees Health & Wellbeing Committee. It is awarded for a research project or quality improvement initiative which improves and promotes trainee health and wellbeing. The winner receives an education grant worth €1,000, funded by RCPI Faculty of Occupational Medicine.
Dr Oana Maria Deac (HST Medical Oncology) discussed a project in St. James’s Hospital, bringing back the hospital’s intern choir. The choir, conceived to give interns a break from work during the workday, was active from 2017-2019. In 2023, Dr Deac brought back the choir, having secured hospital funding to hire a choir director. A survey circulated afterwards asked doctors to assess the impact of the choir on their wellbeing, with responses indicating improved wellbeing among participants, and valuing the opportunity to de-stress.
A study of the prevalence of burnout among rheumatology doctors and nurses was conducted by Dr Eleanor Connolly (HST Rheumatology, Our Lady’s Hospital Navan). Dr Connolly was struck by research showing 51% of rheumatology physicians in the U.S. feeling at danger of burnout, and pointed out that rheumatologists, with a cohort of patients with chronic diseases, experience high workloads and on-call commitments. Dr Connolly’s survey found “Personal Accomplishment” score lowest among registrar and specialist registrars, with those having General Internal Medicine commitments registering a higher depersonalisation score. Dr Connolly concluded that burnout is prevalent in rheumatology, and suggested interventions to identify organisational stressors, and help reduce workload.
The winning research was by Dr David Synnott (HST Nephrology, Tallaght University Hospital), who surveyed 78 intern doctors to gauge their feelings of preparedness for out-of-hours work. Survey results found that a majority felt unappreciated in work, and less than half agreed they knew how to physically navigate their hospital. A fear of approaching seniors was recorded, out of anxiety for having medical knowledge critiqued. Interns admitted to not being prepared for processing post-call decisions, and for how to manage sleep hygiene between shifts, while the educational significance of shadowing often felt misunderstood. Dr Synnott suggested that enhanced shadowing and simulation exercises could give interns an accurate reflection of the pressures of out-of-hours work, and he suggested that interns could help contribute to new ways of learning.
Learn more about RCPI Trainee Awards