Dr Helena McKeague
Dr McKeague’s interest in medical education began early on in her postgraduate career. She has experience at Clinical Tutor, Lecturer and Senior Lecturer level using a variety of teaching methods including small group teaching, interactive workshops, use of simulators and patients and large group lectures. Her areas of special interest are Problem Based Learning (PBL) and assessment. She was one of the first Problem Based Learning (PBL) Tutors in 2007 and in 2008 took on the role of PBL Co-ordinator. Since 2009 she has had responsibility for training new regular and reserve tutors running annual/biannual training workshops and to date has trained over 120 tutors. Her roles include facilitating review of the PBL cases, PBL processes and delivery, the PBL cases and providing guidance and support for both students and tutors.
Dr McKeague is also lead for the Knowledge of Health and Illness module in years 1 and 2 of the GEMS programme.
She is a fully registered medical practitioner with over 18 years’ experience in clinical practice, over 9 years at a consultant level. Her speciality is Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine.
Dr McKeague is a member of the Exam Board of the College of Anaesthetists.
MB BCh BAO University College Dublin, 1988
FFARCSI Faculty of Anaesthesia, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, 1993
H. Dip Healthcare Risk Management University College Dublin (Hons), 1997
Certificate of Higher Professional Training Joint Committee for Higher Professional Training, 1997
Perioperative Transoesophageal Echocardiography The National Board of Echocardiography, 2002
Academic Experience
Clinical Tutor in Anaesthesia, St James’ Hospital/Trinity College Dublin. January-December 1994. Teaching undergraduates and postgraduates. First experience of curriculum review, restructuring undergraduate anaesthesia programme and assessment, co-ordinating the Final Fellowship Clinical Examinations held in St James’.
Special Lecturer in Anaesthesia, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin. July 1996-June 1997. Again teaching both undergraduates and postgraduates. Examined in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) undergraduate examinations in anaesthesia.
Lecturer in Anaesthesia, RCSI. July-December 1997. Teaching final year medical students and interns. Role included redefining the aims of the undergraduate clerkship and restructuring the anaesthesia curriculum as part of a wider revision of the undergraduate curriculum in the college at that time.
Honorary Senior Lecturer in Anaesthesia, University of Leeds. June 1998-July 2006. Teaching undergraduates and postgraduate anaesthesia and cardiac surgical trainees. Co-ordinator for cardiothoracic component in the Masters in Medical Science (M Med Sci), Anaesthesia. Examined in M Med Sci. Faculty member on Applied Basic Science for Cardiothoracic Surgical Trainees, Raven Department of Education, Royal College of Surgeons in England. Co-founder Leeds Perioperative Echocardiography Course.
Problem Based Learning Tutor, Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick. September 2007 to date.
Problem Based Learning Co-ordinator, Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick. December 2008 to December 2013
Senior Lecturer in Medical Education, January 2014 to date. Role includes tutor development and support; selection and training, quality assurance, organising meetings and workshops. She has responsibility for training new regular and reserve tutors running annual/biannual training workshops and to date has trained over 120 tutors. Her roles include facilitating review of the PBL cases, PBL processes and delivery, the PBL cases and providing guidance and support for both students and tutors. She is also lead for the Knowledge of Health and Illness module in years 1 and 2 of the GEMS programme.
Clinical Experience
Over 18 years clinical experience since graduation in 1988
Specialised in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine, beginning General Professional Training in 1989 on the Eastern Region Training Scheme in Ireland
Awarded FFARCSI 1993, completed Higher Professional Training in 1997
Awarded Paddy Swan Memorial Medal for Clinical Excellence in Anaesthesia 1997
Nine years as a consultant in cardiovascular anaesthesia and intensive care medicine in the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust
Particular interest in perioperative transoesophageal echocardiography, certification from National Board of Echocardiography 2002
Association for Medical Education in Europe
Irish Network of Medical Educators
College of Anaesthetists in Ireland
Association of Anaesthetists, Great Britain and Ireland
Association of Cardiothoracic Anaesthetists, UK
British Society of Echocardiography
Society of Cardiovascular Anaesthesia, US
Problem Based Learning
Assessment
Browne, G., McKeague, H. and McGrath, D. (2015) 'Examining the experiences of problem based learning tutors in facilitating small group learning within the environment of the Graduate Entry Medical School at the University of Limerick', in INMED, University of Limerick, Ireland, 19-20 Feb 2015,
Claxton, B. A., Morgan, P., McKeague, H., Mulpur, A. and Berridge, J. (2003) 'Alveolar recruitment strategy improves arterial oxygenation after cardiopulmonary bypass', Anaesthesia, 58(2), 111-6.
Mahmoud, A., Al-Ruzzeh, S., McKeague, H. and Cross, M. (2007) 'Systemic venous thrombosis after recombinant factor VIIa in the control of bleeding after cardiac surgery', Tex Heart Inst J, 34(4), 485-8.
McKeague, H. and Cunningham, A. J. (1997) 'Perioperative Ischemia in Aortic Surgery: Combined Epidural/General Anesthesia and Epidural vs. General Anesthesia and IV Analgesia', Survey of Anesthesiology, 41(4), 196-198.
McKeague, H. and Cunningham, A. J. (1997) 'Postoperative respiratory dysfunction: is the site of surgery crucial?', Br J Anaesth, 79(4), 415-6.
Mills, R. J. and McKeague, H. (2002) 'Heparin Resistance' in Arrowsmith, J. E. and Simpson, J., eds., Problems in Anaesthesia: Cardiothoracic Surgery England: Martin Duniz.
Mulpur, A. K., Mirsadraee, S., Hassan, T. B., McKeague, H. and Kaul, P. (2004) 'Refractory ventricular fibrillation in accidental hypothermia: salvage with cardiopulmonary bypass', Perfusion, 19(5), 311-4.
NISHIYAMA, T., SUGAI, N., HANAOKA, K., McKeague, H. and Cunningham, A. J. (1998) 'Cerebrovascular CO2 Reactivity in Elderly and Younger Adult Patients during Sevoflurane Anaesthesia', Survey of Anesthesiology, 42(2), 76.
Pauli, H. and McKeague, H. (2003) 'Sudden haemodynamic collapse and dysrhythmias', Current Anaesthesia & Critical Care, 14(1), 15-23.