Edward McGirr graduated from the University of Glasgow with a BSc in 1937 and MBChB with honours in 1940. After serving with the Royal Army Medical Corps during the Second World War McGirr worked in the University Department of Medicine at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary following his interests in internal medicine, endocrinology and nuclear medicine. In 1961 he became the Muirhead Chair of Medicine at the University of Glasgow, becoming the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in 1974.

He was President of the College from 1970 to 1972. ]]>