The college was founded in 1599, by a royal charter from King
James VI of Scotland. The charter was granted to
Peter Lowe, a surgeon who trained in France, and author of The Whole Course of Chirurgerie (1597), and Robert Hamilton, a Scottish physician. The charter also mentions by name the apothecary William Spang, who was granted the power to inspect and regulate the sale of drugs in the town. The college originally had no corporate name but became known as the Facultie (1629), then the Facultie of Chyrurgeons and Physitians (1654). By the end of the 17th century the name was established as the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. Powers were granted to examine and regulate surgical practice in the baronies of Glasgow, Renfrew and Dumbarton, and the districts or sheriffdoms of Clydesdale, Renfrew, Lanark, Kyle, Carrick, Ayr and Cunningham. Physicians were admitted on production of their
MD diploma. The faculty was incorporated with the town council to gain burgh privileges in 1656, and purchased a property on the Trongate in 1697. This was demolished and a purpose-built faculty hall was erected on the site in 1698. The Faculty Library was also founded in 1698. In 1791, the faculty moved to a new hall in
St Enoch Square and in 1862 to their current property on
St. Vincent Street, part of the New Town lands developed by
William Harley of
Blythswood Square. In 1909, the Faculty was allowed to add the prefix "royal" to its name; and in 1962 the name was again changed to the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow to bring it into line with its sister corporations. The faculty was unique in that it included the professions of
barber and
apothecary in addition to those of surgeon and physician. In 1656 the surgeons and barbers jointly received a Letter of Deaconry from the town council, establishing them as a craft or trade, with representation in the Trades House. However, relations between the barbers and the surgeons deteriorated later the 17th century, until in 1722 they split and the Letter of Deaconry became null and void. The barbers received money to the value of their share in the Faculty Hall in the Trongate and a new, separate Letter of Deaconry from the town council. The faculty defended its right to be the only body in Glasgow responsible for training and maintaining standards against the claims of the
University of Glasgow. This resulted in extensive litigation in the early 19th century over the status of surgical degrees, which was eventually settled in the faculty's favour. The faculty offered a licence for surgeons from 1785 which served as a basic medical qualification. The Double Qualification in medicine and surgery, established with the
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, was instituted in 1859 and was replaced by the Triple Qualification in 1884. This was a joint medical qualification between all three Scottish medical colleges. At the end of World War II the Goodenough Committee recommended that a medical degree be the
sine qua non of entry to the medical profession. From that time onward the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow has concentrated on postgraduate training, professional development and examinations. but major reforms took another century to materialise. In 2022, the college created its sustainability steering group to address the impact of climate change and sustainable development on health. The RCPSG appointed its first female president Jackie Taylor in 2019, and instituted its highest award (Taylor Medal) in her honour in 2025 to mark the college's 425-year anniversary; the first recipient was Seshadri Vasan. In 2025, Hany Eteiba, originally from Cairo, became the first international medical graduate to be elected president. File:Princess Alexandra's Room, The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, Scotland.JPG|Princess Alexandra's Room File:The College Hall, The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, Scotland.JPG|The College Hall file:Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow Smileawi credit Maldent.png|A
Scotland Malawi Partnership group
Smileawi in College Hall in 2025 ==Qualifications awarded==