Canadian Anaesthetists’ Society Medal

At the 1989 Annual Meeting of the Society in Ottawa, Dr. Donald V. Catton was the recipient of the Canadian Anaesthetists' Society Medal for meritorious service in anaesthesia. Dr. Carton was born and raised in Grimsby, Ontario. He received his M.D. from the University of Western Ontario in 1955, and interned at the Victoria Hospital, London. He subsequently served for four years as station medical officer in the R.C.A.F., completing his military service with the rank of Squadron Leader and with the Canadian Forces' Decoration. He returned to the University of Western Ontario in 1960 as a resident in anaesthesia, two years after Dr. Wolf Spoerel had been appointed chairman. During this time, he spent one year in research as a lecturer in pharmacology. He received his certification in anaesthesia in 1964 and his FRCPC by examination in 1966. In 1964, he joined the staff of the Hanulton Civic Hospitals and quickly became prominent among Hamilton anaesthetists. In 1970 he was appointed program director and in 1971, professor and founding chairman of the Department of Anaesthesia at McMaster. During his nine year term as chairman he was responsible for building an active and respected department, which was particularly noted for its substantial commitment to undergraduate education. During his career to date, Dr. Catton has played a leading role in most areas of professional practice. He has served as chief of staff at McMaster Medical Centre, and president of the medical staff at both McMaster Medical Centre and the Hamilton Civic Hospitals. He is a past chairman of the Section on Anaesthesia of the O.M.A., and has served as assistant secretary and honorary Le D' Donald V. Catton a re~u la m6daille d'or pour services ~.m(~rites en anesthtSsie, lots du congr~s annuel de 1989 de la Social6 eanadienne des anesth6sistes, qui s'est d6roul6 ~t Ottawa. Originaire de Grimsby (Ontario), le D' Catton a re~u son doctorat en m6decine de l'universit~ Western Ontario en 1955 e t a fair son internat a I'hbpital Victoria, London. I1 servit pendant quatre ans eomme m~decin de l'Aviation royale du Canada ofi il s'est m6rit~ le grade de chef d'escadrille et one d6coration des Forces canadiennes. I1 revint ~ l'universit6 Western Ontario en tant que r~sident en anesth*sie en 1960, deux ans apr~s que le D r Wolf Spoerel en cut assum~ la pr~sidence du conseil. I1 consacra alors une annie h la recherche et ~t l'enseignement de la pharmacologic. I1 rebut son certificat en anesth6sie en 1964 et passa en 1966 l'examen du Coll~ge royal des m6decins du Canada dont il devint fellow. I1 se joignit en 1964 au personnel de l'h6pital Civic de Hamilton 06 il se signala rapidement sur le plan professionnel. En 1970, il fut nomm6 directeur de programme, puis it devint, en 1971, professeur et president fondateur du d6partement d'anesth6sie de l'universit6 McMaster Pendant ses neuf a n n , s ~t ce poste, it a b~tti un d6partement vigoureux et respectS, qui fut remarqu6 par la fermet6 de son engagement envers la formation universitaire. Jusqu'ici, le D r Catton a jou6 un r61e de premier plan darts la plupart des volets de la profession. I1 fut chef du personnel enseignant au centre m6dical McMaster, puis p~sident du personnel m6dical du centre et de l'h6pital Civic de Hamilton. Ancien prdsident de la section d'anesth6sie de l'Association m6dicale de l'Ontario, il a aussi ~t6 secr~taire adjoint et secrdtaire honoraire de la Soci6t6