19/09/2026
🏆️ Presenting our final Alumni Awardee of 2026, the recipient of the Inspiring Educator Award, Professor Fergus Gleeson (School of Medicine, Class of 1969), in recognition of an extraordinary career that has had a lasting impact on medical education, clinical assessment and healthcare training worldwide.
🥼 As an incredibly influential figure in modern medical education, Professor Gleeson's career has been distinguished by groundbreaking contributions to the assessment of clinical skills.
🎓️ Following graduation from RCSI and postgraduate training that included service as Tutor Registrar at the Richmond Hospital, he obtained both the MRCPI and MRCP (UK), laying the foundation for a career that would bridge clinical excellence and educational innovation.
📓 A pivotal chapter in his professional journey began during his appointment as a Lecturer at the University of Dundee and Honorary Senior Registrar, where he also worked with the Centre for Medical Education. While completing a postgraduate qualification in Medical Education, Professor Gleeson produced a dissertation on the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), a revolutionary approach to assessing clinical competence that has since become the international gold standard for evaluating medical students and healthcare professionals. Today, the OSCE is used in medical schools and professional examinations throughout the world, influencing the training and assessment of countless healthcare practitioners.
🏥 Fergus' impact on clinical assessment did not stop there. Following his appointment as Consultant Gastroenterologist at Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown and Associate Professor of Medicine at RCSI, he went on to develop and publish the Objective Structured Long Examination Record (OSLER), an innovative alternative to the traditional long case examination. OSLER has subsequently been adopted by many medical schools internationally and remains an important contribution to the evolution of fair, objective and reliable assessment methods in medical education.
📜 Throughout his distinguished career, Fergus has combined clinical leadership with a deep commitment to advancing educational standards. He was elected a Fellow of both the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and the Royal College of Physicians in London, served for many years as an examiner for the MRCPI, and acted as an external examiner for the Final Examination in Medicine at the University of Glasgow. His expertise and dedication to excellence also led to his appointment as Vice President of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.
🌏️ His influence extended well beyond Ireland. As a consultant adviser to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the British Council, Professor Gleeson worked with both emerging and established medical schools around the world, advising on curriculum design and the assessment of clinical competence. Through this work, he helped strengthen medical education systems internationally and contributed to the training of generations of healthcare professionals.
✒️ Even in retirement from clinical practice, Professor Gleeson remains actively engaged in the field of medical education. He continues to write and publish on the assessment of clinical competence, attend academic meetings and participate in professional discussions on emerging issues, including the impact of artificial intelligence on clinical skills training and assessment. His most recent career milestone was the publication of work examining the origins of the OSCE, underscoring his ongoing contribution to the subject with which his name is so closely associated.
🏛️ Professor Gleeson's relationship with RCSI spans more than six decades, from his years as a student and athlete representing the RCSI football team, to his service as educator, Associate Professor, examiner, mentor and internationally recognised ambassador for excellence in medical education. His enduring connection to the University has been marked by a commitment to supporting students, colleagues and the advancement of healthcare education.
👏 The Inspiring Educator Award recognises not only a remarkable professional career but also a legacy that continues to influence medical education around the world. Through the development of assessment methods that have become global benchmarks, Professor Fergus Gleeson has left an indelible mark on healthcare training and has helped ensure that generations of doctors are assessed to the highest standards of clinical competence.
🏆️ The 2026 RCSI Alumni Awards are kindly supported by , an award-winning healthcare recruitment agency that works with healthcare professionals seeking career opportunities in organisations throughout Ireland.
