Prominent Wesley surgeon recognised in Queen’s Birthday honours list
Professor Gough received a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to medicine as a clinician, to education as an academic, researcher, and author and through medical advisory roles.
He is a former President of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) and Chair or former Chair of many medical committees and boards.
His proud daughter Dr Jenny Gough, who works alongside him in private practice at the Wesley, said her father had been an outstanding surgeon and teacher, and what’s more: “He is the best father and grandfather - dad loves spending time with the family, especially his two grandchildren.”
Jenny said in her father’s early career the family had lived in Michigan in the United States:
“We met a lot of world-renowned endocrine surgeons - and then dad went onto become one himself.”
Professor Gough, who specialises in complex endocrine surgery, has been a consultant surgeon at The Wesley Hospital since 1988.
Dr Jenny Gough received her Fellowship in General Surgery from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) in 2008 - the same ceremony where her father became President of the College, pictured above. After undertaking post-fellowship training in endocrine and breast surgery in London, she commenced private practice at Brisbane Breast and Endocrine Surgeons alongside her father and Dr Kate Stringer.
“It wasn’t necessarily my intention to follow in dad’s footsteps by specialising in breast and endocrine surgery - it just happened to be the subspecialty that I enjoyed the most. It is a great career and we love what we do,” she said.
“Because of strict regulations I was not able to train under dad, but since we’ve worked in the same practice it’s been great to be able to discuss difficult cases.”
Dr Luis Prado, Director of Medical Services at The Wesley Hospital and Chief Medical Officer for UnitingCare Health, said the honour was richly deserved.
"Professor Gough's almost three decades as a consultant surgeon at the Wesley, and his generosity as a teacher, mentor and researcher makes all of us at The Wesley Hospital very proud."
Professor Gough holds an MD research degree and has been a Professor of Surgery at The University of Queensland since 1991. He has authored or co-authored 115 publications in refereed journals.
He is a member of Australian and New Zealand Endocrine Surgeons (former President), the International Association of Endocrine Surgeons, the Asian Association of Endocrine Surgeons, and Breast Surgeons International. He is also a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London and Honorary Fellow of several overseas surgical colleges.