Aberdeen Medico-Chirurgical Society (known informally as the Med Chi) is a society for medical practitioners in the North East of Scotland.

History

Med Chi was founded in

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

in 1789 by James McGrigor and James Robertson, originally as a society of

medical student A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, MB ...

s, unhappy with teaching at the city's two universities ( King's College and

Marischal College Marischal College ( ) is a large granite building on Broad Street in the centre of Aberdeen in north-east Scotland, and since 2011 has acted as the headquarters of Aberdeen City Council. However, the building was constructed for and is on long- ...

). In 1811 it evolved into a

postgraduate Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree. The organization and ...

society. A Medical Hall, designed by Archibald Simpson, was built on King Street in 1820, at a cost of more than £3,000. In 1967, the major portion of the library's old and rare medical books was sold, and later the Hall in King Street was sold. The proceeds enabled the Society to build a new Hall at Foresterhill, to which the Society moved in 1973. Today membership is open to all doctors in the northeast of Scotland.

Activities

Med-Chi is based in premises on the Foresterhill site where it has an office, meeting hall, Council Chamber and library. The Hall seats 80 people, whilst the Chamber is set out in board room style for smaller numbers. The society holds scientific meetings each month from October to June and makes its facilities available to book for meetings and courses. The formal programme is complemented by an informal calendar of events, including the Annual Founders' Dinner, Burns Supper and golf competition. The society funds several competitive

bursaries A bursary is a monetary award made by any educational institution or funding authority to individuals or groups. It is usually awarded to enable a student to attend school, university or college when they might not be able to, otherwise. Some aw ...

for medical student electives. The society has links with the Highland Medical Society and the

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

and Edinburgh Medico-Chirurgical Societies. Med-Chi sponsors the

Scottish Medical Journal The ''Scottish Medical Journal'' is a general medical journal, which publishes original research in all branches of medicine, review articles, history of medicine articles, and clinical memoranda. The editor-in-chief is Ghulam Nabi (University ...

and has published several books, including 'The Bicentennial History', 'The 250th Anniversary of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary', 'J J R McLeod, the Co-discoverer of Insulin', and 'City Hospital Aberdeen'.

Library

The library was established in 1791 and rapidly grew until the end of the 19th century. Its use then declined as it was replaced, for up-to-date information, by the university library. The collection of local material includes a complete set of society minutes from 1789. It has 60 volumes of Sir James McGrigor's records of his military service, including his account of the Peninsula Campaign when he was Director-General of the Medical Services. There is also a large collection of medical instruments and other artefacts dating back to the 18th century. The portraits, artefacts and documents form a unique record of local, national and international medical developments. A book showing some of the portraits and medical artefacts in the possession of the society was published in 2007, in aid of the Matthew Hay Project.

References

External links

* {{Authority control

Medico-Chirurgical Society The Medical and Chirurgical Society of London was a learned society of physicians and surgeons which was founded in 1805 by 26 personalities in these fields who had left the Medical Society of London (founded 1773) because of disagreement with th ...

Scottish medical associations 1789 establishments in Scotland Organizations established in 1789 Libraries in Scotland