Dr. Robin McLeod (1951-2024) was an internationally recognized general surgeon with a subspecialty in colorectal surgery. She grew up in Spruce Grove with her sister Peggy under the loving care of her parents, Doug and Nan McLeod and grandparents, Bill and Linda McLeod. Robin graduated in medicine from the University of Alberta in 1975 and moved to Toronto to complete her surgical training. After more work at the Cleveland Clinic, she returned to Toronto to establish her practice there and become a Professor of Surgery at the University of Toronto.

Robin was known around the world for her research and advanced surgical skills. She was the president of several very distinguished Canadian and international surgical associations and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2019 for her “profound influence on medical practice and knowledge translation in surgical education and care.”

Among many other highlights, there are three areas of innovation that stand out:

Journal Club

Robin spent many long hours studying surgical research papers to find and implement the best surgical practices everywhere. Each month she gathered young surgeons to study the results and discuss how to bring them into modern practice. She set up a network on the Internet so that surgeons in remote areas could participate. This has become so successful that it is still used today throughout Canada and the United States for ongoing surgical updating and education.

Best Practices in Surgery (BPIS)

Robin gathered together medical staff from disciplines such as radiology, pathology. nursing, social work, anaesthetics and surgery to study the internationally best methods for treating surgical patients from admission through to post-surgical care. This program was so successful that it is still used throughout Ontario and across the country.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS)

This program reduced the average length of stay in hospital following surgery in Ontario from four days to three.

In addition to her medical accomplishments, Robin was also a wife and mother to her husband John and their two daughters, Claire and Stephanie. An endowment fund has been created at the University of Toronto in Robin’s name for research in neurodegenerative disease: The Dr. Robin McLeod Research Scholarship.