Name: Patricia Rae McDonald (Ford)

Qualifications:
MB ChB, University of Otago, 1943
DA, RCS&P, 1952
FFARCS, 1954
FFARACS, 1956
FANZCA, 1992

Date of Birth: 31 January 1918
Date of Death: 8 July 2014

Patricia Rae Ford was born in Bournemouth England in 1918. When her father returned from war service, the family relocated to Dunedin, New Zealand. She graduated from Southland Girls’ High School as dux and head prefect, and went on to study medicine at the University of Otago. She was the only woman in her year. Ford graduated MB ChB in 1943.

Ford moved to Auckland in 1943, working at Auckland Hospital and focusing on anaesthetics. Between 1946 and 1950 she worked as an anaesthetics registrar at Auckland Public Hospital, and was the first anaesthetics registrar in the newly formed anaesthetics department with Dr Eric Anson.

She moved to London in 1950, working at the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases in Queen’s Square. She also graduated from the Diploma of Anaesthetics in 1952 and returned to Auckland that same year.

In 19578 she married and changed her name to McDonald. With the birth of her children, she took some time away from her career, returning in 1963 and undertaking a lot of ENT work.

In addition to her anaesthetics work, McDonald was involved in a number of medical groups. She became a member of the New Zealand Medical Association in 1943, as well as the New Zealand Medical Women’s Association and the New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists.

SOURCES
Obituary, ANZCA Bulletin; Form of Proposal for Nomination for Fellowship, 1956; Register of Fellows, 1952 – 1990.

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