Dr William Gray McEwen

Personal Details

Dr William Gray McEwen MB ChB FFARCS DA

14/07/1918 to 13/06/2001

Place of birth: Stepps, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Nationality: British

CRN: 510459

Education and qualifications

General education	Medical School, University of Glasgow
Primary medical qualification(s)	MB ChB
Initial Fellowship and type	FFARCS by Election
Year of Fellowship	1953
Other qualification(s)	DA (RCP&S), 1949

Professional life and career

Postgraduate career

After graduation McEwen undertook house officer jobs at Lennox Castle Emergency Medical Scheme (EMS) Hospital in East Dumbartonshire. From 1945 to 1947 he served as an anaesthetist in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR). Next he worked as a full-time, non-resident anaesthetist at the Glasgow Victoria Hospitals Group, where by 1950 he was appointed a Senior Registrar in Anaesthesia. In 1951 he was appointed Consultant Anaesthetist to the Newcastle Regional Hospital Board, in which post he remained until his retirement. 

Professional interests and activities

He was a member of the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland, and of the Royal Society of Medicine. Of small stature, he was affectionally referred to by his colleagues as “Wee Willie”.

Other biographical information

He married Brigid Gallagher in 1945 and they had a son. In retirement he attained a bachelor’s degree in English literature through the Open University. He died at the age of 82, survived by his family.

Author and sources

Author:

Dr Alistair McKenzie

Sources and comments:

[1] Hunter JD. Obituary William Gray McEwen (with photograph). BMJ 2001; 323: 939. [2] Medical Registers and Directories. [3] scotlandspeople.gov.uk