Buchanan studied medicine in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and abroad. In 1835 he became a surgeon at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. He also held the position of Chair of the Institutes of Medicine at the University of Glasgow for a large portion of his career. In 1828 he founded the Glasgow Medical Journal, a local journal for publishing clinical cases and news.

Buchanan was president of the College from 1877 to 1880.]]>