The Faculty of Medical Sciences at The University of the West Indies has a new Dean. He is Professor Archibald McDonald, Specialist in Trauma and Professor of Surgery and Emergency Medicine. Professor McDonald was appointed Dean effective, 1st of August 2005, having served as Head of the Department of Surgery, Radiology, Anaesthetics and Intensive Care since August 2002. He replaces Professor Owen Morgan, who has retired.

Professor McDonald attended Meadowbrook High School and graduated from UWI, Mona in 1975 with the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MB,BS) qualification. In 1985, he became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons and gained the post graduate Doctor of Medicine degree in Surgery also from the UWI in 1986. In 1998 he was admitted to membership of the American College of Emergency Physicians and in 1999, was installed as a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
He also holds specialist diploma from the Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh.

Professor McDonald is a career academic who joined the staff of The University of the West Indies as a Lecturer in Surgery in 1987. He gained tenure in 1992, was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1997 and was elevated to the Chair in Surgery on October 1st 2003. As the first Director of the newly established Accident and Emergency Unit at the University Hospital, Professor Mc Donald initiated a Doctor of Medicine training programme in Emergency Medicine geared to train Emergency Physicians. To date, 13 such specialists have been trained and 23 Residents are currently in that program. He also assisted in the establishment of a Specialist Post Basic Training Programme for Nurses in that Unit. Under his direction, training in Advanced Trauma Life Support began at the University Hospital with this site now fully accredited by the American College of Surgeons. Professor Mc Donald’s research while Director sought to expose Trauma as a major financial drain on the budget of hospitals and governments. A Trauma Registry which he set up in 1997 continues to be the main data source for trauma publications emanating from the Department of Surgery.

His research has been wide and varied, examining outcomes in the epidemiology of trauma, the societal and medical impact of illicit drugs, as well as the examination of techniques of surgical care, all of which are crucial to the understanding and provision of surgical care in Jamaica. He has also been Lead or Co-Author of over 70 papers and abstracts. His research on the use of Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy in the diagnosis of breast cancer has had a profound impact on the practice of surgery in Jamaica. Prior to the development of this technique at the UHWI, mastectomies were only performed after open biopsies. The use of this technique now provides a quick, inexpensive and accurate method of diagnosing breast cancer.

Professor McDonald has highly developed skills as an administrator, having served as board member for the Mona Institute of Medical Sciences, Faculty Representative on the University of the West Indies Budget Monitoring Committee and Acting Senior Director of Clinical Services at the University Hospital of The West Indies on many occasions.
He has also been elected to serve as President of the Association of Surgeons in Jamaica for the years 2006-2008.

He is married to Ava McDonald a Registered Nurse and is the father of three children Daeyna, Alex and Tiffany.