Featuring award-winning author and palliative care expert Dr Rachel Clarke

The 2026 Medical Professionalism Conference, Professionalism in Healthcare: Education, Experience and Example, took place at RCSI last Friday.

The fifth annual conference heard a keynote address by Dr Rachel Clarke, acclaimed palliative care physician, Sunday Times bestselling author, and 2025 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction winner for The Story of a Heart. Known for her work in healthcare advocacy, Dr Clarke shared her unique perspective on compassionate care at the conference.

“We were honored to welcome Dr Rachel Clarke to RCSI,” Opens in new windowProfessor Denis Harkin, Chair of Medical Professionalism at RCSI, said in advance of the conference today. “Her experience in patient advocacy aligns with the values that we aim to advance in the Centre, and perfectly embodies the theme of the conference, ‘Experience and Example’. The conference brought together experts in medical professionalism globally to explore this theme in both education and healthcare.”

Topics covered at the conference included leading by example in healthcare professionalism, surgical ethics in the age of robots, psychological safety and wellbeing of healthcare staff and the patient experience of medical professionalism.

Alongside Dr Clarke, the conference featured insights from experts including Dr Suzanne Crowe, Medical Council of Ireland, patient advocate Stephen Teap, Dr Laura Golding, Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, and Opens in new windowProfessor Barry McGuire, RCSI.

The conference was chaired by Professor Harkin, Consultant Vascular Surgeon and Chair of Medical Professionalism at RCSI.

Professionalism describes the values, behaviours and relationships that underpins public trust in doctors and health and social care professionals. RCSI is a leader nationally in professionalism, with a dedicated Centre for Professionalism in Medicine and Health Sciences. Our vision is to advance medical professionalism to benefit patients through research, education and enhancement of clinical practice.

The Medical Professionalism Conference 2026 was hosted by RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences and supported by the Bon Secours Health System and the Medical Protection Society.

Pictured: Professor Denis Harkin, Chair of the RCSI Centre for Professionalism in Medicine and Health Sciences, Dr. Rachel Clarke, palliative care doctor with the NHS and bestselling author, Dr Suzanne Crowe, President of the Medical Council of Ireland, and Professor Barry McGuire, consultant urological surgeon and Professor of Postgraduate Surgical Education and Academic Development.