John MacVicar (6 November 1927 – 23 March 2011) was a British physician who was most notable for pioneering the diagnostic use of

ultrasound Ultrasound is sound waves with frequency, frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing range, hearing. Ultrasound is not different from "normal" (audible) sound in its physical properties, except that humans cannot hea ...

obstetrics Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surgi ...

as well as later, being a clinical educator. MacVicar was part of a team along with physician

Ian Donald Ian Donald (27 December 1910 – 19 June 1987) was an English physician who pioneered the diagnostic use of ultrasound in obstetrics, enabling the visual discovery of abnormalities during pregnancy. Donald was born in Cornwall, England, to a ...

and engineer Tom Brown, who developed the worlds first obstetric ultrasound machine in 1963. Using the new technique of

, MacVicar's research transformed the treatment of gynaecological conditions in pregnant women, through the use of clinical trials.

Life

John MacVicar was the youngest of six children. His father, Angus John MacVicar, was a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

minister in the

Church of Scotland The Church of Scotland ( sco, The Kirk o Scotland; gd, Eaglais na h-Alba) is the national church in Scotland. The Church of Scotland was principally shaped by John Knox, in the Scottish Reformation, Reformation of 1560, when it split from t ...

. His brother was the prolific author

Angus MacVicar Angus MacVicar (28 October 1908, Argyll – 31 October 2001, Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute) was a Scottish author with a wide-ranging output. His greatest successes came in three separate genres: crime thrillers, juvenile science fiction, and a ...

. MacVicar took his early education at Campbeltown Grammar School and graduated as

Dux ''Dux'' (; plural: ''ducēs'') is Latin for "leader" (from the noun ''dux, ducis'', "leader, general") and later for duke and its variant forms (doge, duce, etc.). During the Roman Republic and for the first centuries of the Roman Empire, ''dux' ...

. In 1945, MacVicar matriculated at the

University of Glasgow Medical School The University of Glasgow School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing is the medical school of the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and is one of the largest in Europe, offering a 5-year MBChB degree course. It is ranked 2nd in the UK for medicine ...

to study for a medical degree. After being encouraged by his peers, he decided to specialise in the fields of

and

gynaecology Gynaecology or gynecology (see spelling differences) is the area of medicine that involves the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, forming the combined are ...

, achieving a

Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United King ...

in 1950. After a number of junior positions, MacVicar spent 2 years abroad in Singapore for his

National service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The l ...

working as a medical officer for the wives of serviceman. When he returned, he was appointed to a position at

Stobhill Hospital Stobhill Hospital is an Ambulatory Care and Diagnostic Hospital, located in Springburn in the north of Glasgow, Scotland. It serves the population of North Glasgow and part of East Dunbartonshire. It is managed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. ...

, which enabled him to complete his membership exam for the

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) is a professional association based in London, United Kingdom. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that is ...

. In 1956, MacVicar was appointed as a Registrar in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the

Western Infirmary The Western Infirmary was a teaching hospital situated in the West End of Glasgow, Scotland, that was managed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. It was opened in 1874 and closed in 2015. History After the University of Glasgow moved from the city ...

and Royal Maternity Hospital in Glasgow. In 1965, he was appointed a lecturer at Department of Midwifery at Queen Mother’s Hospital in Glasgow. While he was there, he took the opportunity of being seconded to the Department of Medicine at the

University of East Africa The University of East Africa was established on 29 June 1963"Universities: East Africa", ''A Historical Companion To Postcolonial Thought In English'' (Columbia University Press, 2005) Prem Poddar and David Johnson, eds., p. 489. and served Keny ...

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...

. His remit was to establish a new department that specialised in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. To build the department, he quickly gained a rapport with the staff and established strong links with the

Kampala University Kampala University (KU) is a fully fledged, private, chartered, recognized and accredited university in Uganda. Location , KU maintained the following campuses: 1. Ggaba: The main campus is in a neighborhood in Makindye Division, approximately ...

and universities in Uganda. He was recognised for both his work at the Western Infirmary and in Africa with a promotion to Professor, becoming foundation professor in

Leicester Medical School Leicester Medical School is a medical school, which is part of the University of Leicester. The school was founded in 1975, although between 2000 and 2007 it was part of the joint Leicester-Warwick Medical School. As of 2021, the medical school ...

, at the time the newest in the UK. He remained in that position, until his retirement in 1992. MacVicar was married to Esme MacVicar. He had four children, Marsali, Rona, Alan and Cath, and five grandchildren Sam, Emily, Ailie, Kirsty and Cameron.

Research

The relationship between Brown and MacVicar was mutually supportive. MacVicar had little experience of pure research as his background was in clinical work. However, he recognized the value of diagnostic ultrasound and believed it would play a significant role in obstetrics and gynaecology.

Bibliography

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:MacVicar, John 1927 births 2011 deaths Alumni of the University of Glasgow Academics of the University of Glasgow Medical ultrasonography