Professor of Medical Education. Name: Archie DuncanCategory: Previous staffRole: Professor of Medical EducationCountry of origin: Born in Darjeeling, IndiaTime active with Edinburgh Medical School: 1931-36, 1966-76 Born in Darjeeling in 1917 to a missionary family, Archie studied medicine in Edinburgh, graduating in 1936. He went on to undertake training in obstetrics and gynaecology and held several consultant posts including at the Western General Hospital between 1950 and 1953. Archie was appointed Professor of Medical Education at the University of Edinburgh in 1966 and continued in this role until retiring in 1976. It was a challenging role at this time, and included liaising between the medical school and the NHS to organise medical student teaching. Archie significantly shaped the reputation of the medical school, helping to establish it as a worldleading academic teaching centre. He was interested in research ethics and was key to setting up the Institute of Medical Ethics. He went on to write The Dictionary of Medical Ethics. In his honour, Edinburgh Medical School continues to have an Archie Duncan fellow, who is responsible for the teaching of medical ethics. This article was published on 2026-03-11
