Dr Shields graduated from National University of Ireland, Galway. He completed Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons before completing Higher Specialist Emergency Medicine Training in Ireland and fellowship by examination of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (UK).

Dr Shields’ areas of interest include acute and emergency medicine, simulation training, trauma and education. He is an examiner at the Fellowship of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and Membership of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine level. He was appointed director of medical education at St James’s Hospital in 2019 and is currently St James’s Hospital’s intern tutor on the Dublin South-East Intern Network.