Major-General Robert Dupuis (21 November 1928 – 28 January 2019) was the 28th Canadian

Surgeon General Surgeon general (: surgeons general) is a title used in several Commonwealth countries and most NATO nations to refer either to a senior military medical officer or to a senior uniformed physician commissioned by the government and entrusted with p ...

Biography

Born in

Drummondville Drummondville () is a city in the Centre-du-Québec region of Quebec, located east of Montreal on the Saint-François River. The population as of the Canada 2021 Census was 79,258. The mayor of Drummondville is Stéphanie Lacoste. Drummondville ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, Robert was educated at

Université Laval (; English: ''Laval University)'' is a public research university in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The university traces its roots to the Séminaire de Québec, founded by François de Montmorency-Laval in 1663, making it the oldest institutio ...

Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...

, where he graduated with a Medical Degree in 1951. He also completed post-graduate studies in 1961, 1964 and 1965 at the Montréal Military Hospital (Queen Mary's Hospital) and the Notre-Dame Hospital (both in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

).Telephone Interview with Major-General Dupuis 21 May 2015. Dupuis joined the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps (RCAMC) in 1956 and was posted to 3rd Battalion, the

Canadian Guards The Canadian Guards (officially known as the Regiment of Canadian Guards) was an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army that served in the same role as the five regiments of foot guards in the British Army. The regiment was formed on 16 October ...

, and was sent to

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

in 1957. He returned to Canada in 1961 and began post-graduate studies. However, in 1963 he halted his studies and went on a 6-month tour as medical officer with the 57th Canadian Signal Unit in the Congo – an experience that he greatly enjoyed. Following his return to Canada in 1964, he continued his post-graduate studies, completing them in 1965; at which time, he was posted to the Canadian Forces Hospital in

Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the northeastern end of Lake Ontario. It is at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River, the south end of the Rideau Canal. Kingston is near the Thousand Islands, ...

, as assistant chief of medicine. He remained in the position until 1966, when he was posted to the Military Hospital in Gatineau, Québec. He was posted there for a brief period of time before being posted to the Military Hospital in

Accra, Ghana Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population ...

as a specialist. Dupuis returned to Canada in 1968 and was posted to the National Defence Medical Centre (NDMC) in Ottawa, Ontario, as assistant chief of medicine, and the following year, he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel. He remained in the position until 1972; at which time, he was appointed chief of medicine. In 1973, Dupuis was promoted to colonel. He was also appointed assistant professor at the University of Ottawa within the medical school that year, and associate professor the following year. Dupuis was next promoted to brigadier-general in 1979 and appointed commandant of NDMC. He remained in the position until 1982; at which time, he was promoted to major-general and appointed surgeon general. Dupuis retired from the military in 1985, and became a civilian medical specialist for NDMC, a position he held until his full retirement in 1995. He died on 28 January 2019, at the age of 90.

References

1928 births 2019 deaths Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps officers Canadian military personnel from Quebec Canadian generals Canadian military doctors People from Drummondville Surgeons general of Canada {{med-bio-stub