College Medal 2021

Professor Roderick MacLeod MNZM 

Professor Roderick MacLeod was recently awarded the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, College Medal - hominum servire saluti “for your outstanding contribution and leadership over many years in Palliative Medicine in Australasia, the Asia-Pacific Community and Internationally.” Rod is a founding Fellow of the Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine (AChPM), has helped develop the Asia Pacific Hospice Network, and was appointed Aotearoa New Zealand’s first Professor in Palliative Care in 2003. He was involved in the development of the palliative medicine curriculum during his time on the AChPM Education Committee and provided his expertise to the College’s Supervisor Professional Development program.

During Rod’s career, he has been internationally recognised for his work in medical education, highlighting the importance of holistic end of life care. He has influenced evidence-based practices and policies in palliative care at state, national and international levels, and has contributed to the debate against the legalisation of euthanasia and physician-assisted dying.

Rod’s Palliative Care Handbook remains a popular resource for clinicians and is now in its ninth edition. His international collaborations led to the Textbook of Palliative Care that he co-edited in 2019. His extensive academic and educational credentials have contributed to an international palliative medicine network for Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia. In recognition of his contribution to palliative care in Aotearoa New Zealand, Rod was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2015.