Thank you, Dr. McDougall, for 40 Years of Continuous Service

February 2016

Ross McDougall has been associated with Stanford University Medical School from 1972, the first 2 years as a fellow and since 1976 to 2008 as full time faculty. Since then he has been active Emeritus professor. He was born, brought up and educated in Glasgow, Scotland. After attending The High School of Glasgow he proceeded to the University of Glasgow to study medicine. He graduated with honors in 1967, second in a class of 200. He played rugby for the University and was awarded “colors”. Dr. McDougall trained in medicine and passed the Membership Examination of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow in 1971 and subsequently became a Fellow of that college and the Royal College of Physicians in London. He was awarded a PhD in 1972 for clinical and radiobiological studies of ¹²⁵I in the treatment of thyrotoxicosis. Some of this work was published in the Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine.

In 1972 he was awarded a Harkness Fellowship to spend 21 months conducting research under the supervision of the late Joseph Kriss. Several papers of their work between 1972-74 were published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine and one in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Dr. McDougall initially returned to his position as Lecturer in medicine at the University of Glasgow at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary in 1974. He subsequently returned to Stanford in 1976 and was appointed Associate Professor of Radiology, then Professor of Radiology and Medicine in 1985. His role was mainly as an attending physician in Nuclear Medicine but for several years he also attended on the Internal Medicine wards and in Endocrinology. On the death of Joseph Kriss in 1989, Dr. McDougall took over directorship of the thyroid clinic, which he ran mostly single handedly until 2008. He was director of the Nuclear Medicine Residency Program for 25 years. The Arthur Bloomfield Award for excellence in teaching of clinical medicine in 1985, the Alwin C. Rambar Award for clinical excellence in 1988 and the Albion Walter Hewlett Award in 2010 recognized his clinical and teaching abilities.

During his tenure, Dr. McDougall conducted laboratory and clinical research and published more than 160 peer reviewed papers and 110 book chapters, reviews and editorials. He wrote 3 textbooks--one single authored on all aspects of thyroid diseases, the other 2 were specifically on thyroid cancer with Dr. Gerald Berry from the Department of Pathology writing the chapters on Pathology. For his work, he received the Distinguished Scientist Award from the Western Regional Chapter of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging in 2006.

He had an interest in both the Medical School at Stanford and the Hospital. He was appointed to the Medical School Senate and subsequently to the committee of 5. He was Chairman of the Senate. He was also elected President of the Medical Center, being the first faculty member to this post. He was appointed to the American Board of Nuclear Medicine and was Chairman for 2 years. He was also Vice Chairman of the Residency Review Committee in Nuclear Medicine. He was also a Governor of the American Board of Internal Medicine for 3 years. He was also President of the Western Regional Chapter of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

Beyond these extraordinary professional achievements is the human touch that has blessed everyone that crossed path with Dr McDougall. There are countless positive feedbacks from patients, trainees and colleagues that speak for the kind of marvelous person he truly is. As a teacher he always manages to make his students strive for knowledge, often with a hint of irresistible Scottish humor. One of the last true classical physicians to walk into the consultation room knowing not just the medical histories, but the personal stories of his patients, Dr. McDougall inspired generations of young physicians to become better practitioners. Nothing speaks more than the smiles of gratitude from people who he helped that accompany him every time he walks through the corridors of Stanford Hospital. A renaissance personality, Dr. McDougall is a true walking encyclopedia, with knowledge and interests extending beyond medicine into the world of arts, literature, sports, history and politics.

We all wish Ross a long and happy retirement.