Ronald Haxton Girdwood achieved much during his career in Academic Medicine. A graduate of Edinburgh University Medical School in 1939, he was Professor of Therapeutics at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (1962–82), Dean of the Faculty of Medicine (1975–79), and President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (1982–85).  His Presidency saw the building of the Queen Mother Conference Centre at the College and the establishment of the “Chronicle”, forerunner of the modern Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. In 1986 he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to medicine.

Girdwood's autobiography, Travels with a Stethoscope, was published in 1990. You can read this online here:

Girdwood, Travels with a Stethoscope, Part 1

Girdwood, Travels with a Stethoscope, Part 2

Girdwood, Travels with a Stethoscope, Part 3

Girdwood, Travels with a Stethoscope, Part 4