Ronald G. Tompkins (1951 – January 17, 2022) was an American physician and academic. He served as Sumner M. Redstone Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and chief of Surgery, Science and Bioengineering at Massachusetts General Hospital’s (MGH) Division of Surgery. He was also the founding director of The Institute for Bioengineering and Biotechnology (MGH surgery division) and of the Center for Engineering in Medicine & Surgery at MGH.[1]

Ronald G. Tompkins
Born1951 (1951)
Died (aged 70)
EducationTulane University (BA, MD)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Occupations
  • Physician
  • academic
Parent(s)Horace Tompkins
Ruby Elizabeth Tompkins

Early life and education

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Tompkins was born in Many, Louisiana to Horace and Ruby Elizabeth Tompkins, a teacher.[2][3] He became an Eagle Scout in 1966.[4] He earned his B.A. in chemistry in 1972, before completing an M.D. at Tulane University.[1] He went on to earn a master's degree and doctorate in chemical engineering in 1983, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[1]

Career

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Tompkins completed his surgery residency at Harvard University and joined the surgical faculty at MGH in 1987. In 1990 he became Chief of Staff at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Boston.[5] He served in that role and as Chief of Trauma and Burn Services at MGH for 22 years.[6]

He served as the Chief Medical Officer at the Open Medicine Foundation (OMF) and was co-director of the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Collaboration at the Harvard-Affiliated Hospitals sponsored by OMF.[6]

Death

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Tompkins died unexpectedly on January 17, 2022, aged 70.[7][8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Ronald G. Tompkins, MD, ScD". Massachusetts General Hospital. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  2. ^ Deitch, Edwin A. (September 1995). "Ronald G. Tompkins, MD, ScD, FACS". Critical Care Medicine. 23 (9): 1460. doi:10.1097/00003246-199509000-00003. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  3. ^ "Ruby Elizabeth Tompkins". The Times. April 15, 1986. p. 10. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  4. ^ "Dinner Will Honor Eagle Scouts Here". The Times. February 9, 1967. p. 27. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  5. ^ "Struggle ahead for burn victims". The Boston Globe. February 22, 2003. p. 23. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Ronald G. Tompkins, M.D., Sc.D." The Harvard ME/CFS Collaboration at Harvard-Affiliated Hospitals. Harvard University. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  7. ^ "A Sad Announcement: Mourning the loss of Dr. Ronald Tompkins, OMF Chief Medical Officer". Open Medicine Foundation. January 18, 2022. Archived from the original on January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 19, 2022.
  8. ^ Ronald "Ron Tompkins