Donald Mervyn Sheldon

Associate Professor Donald Mervyn Sheldon (5 January 1937 – 16 March 2007) was a surgeon training and working at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney with specialist training in gastro-intestinal surgery.

Throughout his career, Sheldon had various roles in both a teaching and working capacity. He held teaching and working roles at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, The Royal Flying Doctor Service, Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, Marrickville Hospital, The University of Sydney, New South Wales Private Hospital, and Vung Tau in South Vietnam as well as St George Hospital in London. Gordon-Taylor Memorial Prize, He commenced as a surgical registrar at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in 1963.

Sheldon worked with the Royal Flying Doctor Service at Broken Hill throughout his career and would often be flying remotely in an old Drover airplane. He continued to provide locum doctor services to under-serviced regions including in Darwin where at times he was the only surgeon available.

Awards

Throughout his life, Sheldon was awarded many accolades.

He received the Justin Fleming Gold Medal from the Australia Association of Surgeons for his research and publications. Early in his career he received the Gordon Taylor Prize as the best candidate from Australia and New Zealand in the Primary Surgical Fellowship Exam.

He had roles as both a councilman and chairman of the board of continuing professional development attributed to his teaching roles with the University of Sydney.

Personal life Sheldon was born in Dulwich Hill, Sydney on 5 January 1937 to Margaret and Mervyn Sheldon. He was the third of four children to his parents. Sheldon came from an education focused family with his mother being a schoolteacher and his father being head of Biology and Vice Principal at Sydney Teachers' College.