Dr Malcolm Downie ‘Callum’ Mclean

Dr Malcolm Downie ‘Callum’ Mclean

Former Consultant Clinical Radiologist at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (born Buckie Scotland 11 January 1948: qualified St. Andrews 1972. FRCR 1979). Died from cancer on 1 September 2002.

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11 January 1948 to 01 September 2002

Malcolm McLean, known to all as Callum, spent his school days in Falkirk before moving to St Andrews University for his medical studies. He was in one of the last groups to graduate from St. Andrews in 1972 having done their pre-clinical training at St. Andrews and their clinical training at Dundee University Medical School. On qualifying he did his house jobs in Warwick/Leamington Spa where he met his wife Jennifer, a nurse. They then moved to the Birmingham Accident Hospital where he started training in Neurosurgery. However, he developed an allergy to the agents then used for scrubbing in to theatre and was advised to seek his future in a different specialty.

Callum joined the Radiology training scheme in Bristol and passed his Fellowship exam in 1979. The following year he and his family moved to Exeter where he had been appointed as a consultant. He rapidly earned himself a reputation as an excellent opinion, particularly in his specialist areas of cross-sectional and musculo-skeletal imaging. Perhaps his greatest legacy to the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital was the acquisition in 1995 of an MR Scanner, in the face of opposition from a then unenlightened DHA. He was a founder member of the MRRA(UK) and one of the first life members. He spent several years as the association's treasurer and on handing over the reins (to Tony Cave, an old medical school colleague) was made an honorary vice-president. The Association owes him a great debt for his shrewd stewardship of funds during the difficult early years. In his spare time Callum was a keen and talented golfer.

He enjoyed fine food and wines, art and music and was a committed collector of bargains. His general knowledge was astounding and no pub quiz team was complete without him. He was at his best as a philosopher and raconteur whilst socialising with colleagues. Above all Callum was a family man. He leaves a wife Jennifer, a daughter Emma who is a doctor in London and a son James.