The History of Veterinary Education in Edinburgh

by Alastair A. Macdonald, Colin M. Warwick

Overview

The history of veterinary education in Edinburgh has been traced from 1696 to 2022. William Dick established his veterinary school in 1823. The development of his veterinary interest, formal training and family life is presented. About 14,000 students from at least 139 countries have studied towards obtaining undergraduate veterinary degrees and/or postgraduate qualifications (diplomas, masters, doctorates) from the Dick Vet, Gamgee’s New Edinburgh Veterinary College and Williams’ New Edinburgh Veterinary College and the Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine. The progressive changes in course duration, content, staffing and physical facilities are described. The student populations, graduations, dress codes, extra-curricular activities and traditions give insights into the lives of veterinary students over two centuries. The academic and clinical leadership of the individual veterinary teaching and research institutes is described. Some indication is given of administrative, teaching and support staff. The geographical location of veterinary education in Edinburgh is highlighted.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781399525596
Publisher:	Edinburgh University Press
Publication date:	09/22/2023
Pages:	329
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.76(d)

About the Author

Alastair A. Macdonald has been a lecturer then senior lecturer at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies from 1984 until retiral in 2011, and an Honorary Fellow of the University of Edinburgh since then. Awarded a PhD by Edinburgh University(1975) and Doctor in de Diergeneeskunde by Utrecht University(1983) he was appointed as Visiting Professor in Fuzhou University, China from 2008-2011. From 2011-2015 he served as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Edinburgh, then Scottish Consortium for Rural Research. Investigating the biology of the wild Indonesian pig, babirusa (Babyrousa celebensis) has been an academic cornerstone for the last 35 years, and similarly, researching the history of veterinary education in Edinburgh, has been a focus for the last 20 years.

Colin M. Warwick has been associated with the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies for 64 years (47 on the Technical Staff and 17 as an Honorary Fellow) so he is himself part of Dick Vet history. In 2005 Her Majesty the Queen presented him with an MBE “for services to the Veterinary School, University of Edinburgh”. Having an interest in local history he served on the council of the Old Edinburgh Club for ten years. During the last 20 years he worked collaboratively researching and writing over 30 papers on veterinary history.

Table of Contents

List of Figures List of Plates List of Tables Preface Acknowledgements Chapter 1. Foundations of Veterinary Education in Scotland (1696–1817) Chapter 2. The Establishment of William Dick’s Veterinary School (1817–57) Chapter 3. John Gamgee’s Edinburgh New Veterinary College (1857–65)Chapter 4. Clyde Street College Developments (1857–74) Chapter 5. William Williams’s New Veterinary College (1873–1904) Chapter 6. Clyde Street College Developments (1874–1916) Chapter 7. The Dick Vet at Summerhall (1911–47)Chapter 8. The Polish Veterinary Faculty in Edinburgh (1943–8) Chapter 9. The Dick Vet Embodied within the University(1947–69)Chapter 10. The Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine (1970–2005) Chapter 11. The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (1970–2003)Chapter 12. From Summerhall to the Easter Bush Campus (2003–11)Chapter 13. The Easter Bush Dick Vet (2011–22)Chapter 14. Student Activities at the Dick Vet (1823–2022)Chapter 15. Summary and Conclusions Index

Editorial Reviews

The profession owes a great graditude to the authors for their many years of research and documentation. They have delivered a most valuable book which will be of interest to all those wishing to know more about the veterinary profession. Without doubt this is a 'must have' for every veterinary library where this most rewarding purchase will sit well in the area of veterinary history and should be read by many over the years to come.

Veterinary History - Paul Watkins