Richard L. Cruess, MD

Dr. Richard Cruess graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Princeton in 1951 and an MD from Columbia University in 1955. He is Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and a Core Member of the Centre for Medical Education at McGill University. An orthopedic surgeon, he served as Chair of Orthopedics (1976-1981), directing a basic science laboratory and publishing extensively in the field. He was Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University from 1981 to 1995. He was President of the Canadian Orthopedic Association (1977-1978), the American Orthopedic Research Society (1975-1976), and the Association of Canadian Medical Colleges (1992-1994). He is a Companion of The Order of Canada and of L’Ordre National du Québec. McGill University has established the Richard and Sylvia Cruess Chair in Medical Education. Since 1995, with his wife Dr. Sylvia Cruess, he has taught and carried out independent research on professionalism and professional identity formation in medicine. They have published widely on the subject and been invited speakers at universities, hospitals, and professional organizations throughout the world.