Professor Pascal McKeown MD FRCP FESC PFHEA

Profile

Professor Pascal McKeown was the Head of School and Dean of Education, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Biomedical Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast from 2016-2023. He completed his undergraduate medical studies in 1984 and, following a period of full-time research, received the Doctor of Medicine degree in 1991. From 1994-1995, having been awarded an Alexander von Humboldt scholarship, he pursued molecular research in inherited cardiac conditions at the Max Planck Institute in Bad Nauheim, Germany. Following completion of postgraduate clinical training in Cardiology in Northern Ireland and London he took up a clinical academic post at Queen’s University in 1998. He completed a Master’s in Medical Education in 2003. In August 2011, he was appointed as Director of the Centre for Medical Education and then, in 2016, moved to the Dean’s position. During the period 2022-2024, he is the President of the Irish Cardiac Society.

When asked to reflect on “what does being a Principal Fellow mean to you?” Pascal answered:

Reflective practice is an integral component of professional development. When I was encouraged by my peers to apply for Principal Fellowship, I was initially reluctant to do so. However, I then realised that, as an integral part of the application process, I had an opportunity to reflect on the impact of my educational practice over many years and assess how my practice was aligned with the Advance HE Professional Standards Framework, including the professional values. This has allowed me to re-frame my approach not only to supporting learners but also providing collaborative leadership in the educational domain. I also find the support from peers who are on a similar journey to be very nourishing. In turn, having learned a lot from this part of my educational journey, I have also been able to mentor other colleagues who are currently preparing their applications.