John Howie

Now a retired professor and previous chair of general practice, John Howie is widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of general practice as an academic discipline. He dedicated his career to establishing general practice as a vital component of the medical curriculum and to securing recognition for primary care research.

 

John was the second holder of the James Mackenzie Chair of General Practice at the University of Edinburgh – the oldest such chair in the world. He led research on epidemiology and public health at the University between 1980 and 2000 and is known for his research exploring the importance of the quality of GP consultations and patient-doctor relationships.

 

A significant part of John’s legacy was the creation of GP-ACT in Scotland, which advocated for teaching introductory clinical skills to medical students early in the curriculum. To bring this initiative to life, he successfully lobbied government to provide financial support for GPs who taught undergraduate medical students in their practices. This, in turn, led to substantial investment in GP teaching and the growth of academic departments of general practice across the UK.