Doctors Day Feature – Peter Macdonald, MD

Doctors Day is March 30

Peter Macdonald, MD

March 27, 2023

Peter Macdonald, MD, has lived and worked around the world, but has made Big Rapids home.

Dr. Macdonald, who practices at Spectrum Health Big Rapids Family Medicine, which will become Corewell Health Big Rapids Family Medicine, was born in Kirkcaldy, Fife Scotland.

When he was young his family considered immigrating to Canada. They did a trial move from Scotland staying in Dundas, Ontario. His father investigated jobs with locum work, including one in Moose Factory on James Bay. “That was particularly exciting as we had to take a chopper to get to such a remote area,” he said. “We then returned to Scotland and after a year, committed to a new life in Canada making plans for the final move to the Toronto area.”

After completing high school in Canada, he earned his undergraduate degree in physiology and pharmacology from the University of Western Ontario.

While a junior, he went on a road trip across the United States with a cousin and his classmate who were medical students, and was motivated to pursue medicine, thinking he was just as bright and dedicated. The next year he applied to medical schools in Scotland and England.

“Then this fat envelope arrived,” he said. “That was magic—it changed my whole life.”

He graduated from Ninewells Hospital and Medical School at the University of Dundee in Scotland in 1992. He loved training in the United Kingdom as he could easily visit his family and friends there.

“I would regularly take the train to visit my Scottish Grandmother,” he said. “We especially enjoyed eating at various curry houses.”

During longer breaks he would travel to Denmark to visit his Danish Grandmother. He spent a summer on Lolland, Denmark working on an orchard, commuting by bike and honing his Danish language skills.

Dr. Macdonald’s internationally-based family has him regularly crossing borders. He will soon be in Scotland accompanying his sister and father for the occasion of a 50th wedding anniversary. They have reserved time for a visit to the Isle of Lewis where his grandfather was born.

Dr. Macdonald served as a locum General Practitioner in Queensland, Australia, before fulfilling his three-year family medicine residency at the Genesys Regional Medical Centre in Flint, Michigan.

After his residency, he moved back to Scotland and completed his general practitioners training before working at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio while his wife, Dr. Julie Boss, was completing her medical residency in ophthalmology.

The couple settled in Big Rapids in 2002.

“I’ve been here since then – over 20 years, Dr. Macdonald said. “We’ve become immersed in the community. Our children have played many sports from soccer, lacrosse, football, baseball as well as hockey from the Ice Dogs through high school and now they’re both off to college. We just love living in a small community. “

Dr. Macdonald said he enjoys working with patients who are committed to and strive to attain good health. He encourages and counsels them to be the best they can through his ongoing care and positive reinforcement.

Dr. Macdonald is a third-generation physician. His grandfather was a general practitioner in Lancashire, England and his father is a retired anesthesiologist who lives near Toronto.

When not working, Dr. Macdonald enjoys hunting, fishing, running and genealogy. Their family also enjoys scuba diving.

Corewell Health recognizes and thanks all its doctors this Doctors Day.

Contact:
John Norton
Corporate Communications Manager
Office: 231.592.4387
Mobile: 231.580.1079
Email: john.norton@corewellhealth.org