» Go to news main

Noble goals, dedicated doctors

Posted by Melanie Jollymore on December 19, 2017 in News
Dr. Jock Murray speaks at the launch of his new book on the history of Dalhousie Medical School. Behind him: the bust of Sir Charles Tupper, whose efforts led to the school's creation. (Jollymore photos)
Dr. Jock Murray speaks at the launch of his new book on the history of Dalhousie Medical School. Behind him: the bust of Sir Charles Tupper, whose efforts led to the school's creation. (Jollymore photos)


Since the 1970s, Dr. Jock Murray has been collecting stories about the early days and ongoing evolution of Dalhousie Medical School and shaping them into a comprehensive history.

His years of dedication have culminated in Noble Goals, Dedicated Doctors: The Story of Dalhousie Medical School, published by Nimbus in December 2017 — just in time to kick off the year of celebrations marking the medical school’s 150th anniversary in 2018.

“It was not easy to convince Dalhousie College to open a medical school,” recounts Dr. Murray. “The college was barely on its feet in the 1860s and its leaders knew a medical school would be costly. Plus, there was no general hospital for hands-on practice with patients, no anatomy act to allow dissection of bodies for learning purposes, and little understanding even of the importance of medical education itself.”

Read more on Dal News.