Sir John Struthers MD FRCS Edin LLD Glasg: Anatomist, zoologist and pioneer in medical education

Sir John Struthers (1823 - 1899), a past president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and Regius Professor of Anatomy at the University of Aberdeen, was an accomplished scientist and medical educator. Much of his career was spent in shaping the medical curriculum of the nineteenth century. He was a strong proponent of a sound basic science education as preparation for a career in medicine, but was also central in developing more formal clinical teaching for medical students. His interest in comparative anatomy and evolution has provided a rich legacy of human and zoological specimens that remain of value in everyday teaching. Much of his work on educational theory and the place of basic sciences in the medical curriculum remains relevant to this day, and is of particular interest given the ongoing debate regarding the place of the basic medical sciences in the undergraduate medical curriculum.