Dr. Robert Orford is a graduate of McGill (MD, CM), University of Minnesota (MS, Internal Medicine), and University of Washington (MPH), and completed residencies in Internal Medicine and Aerospace Medicine at Mayo Clinic and in Preventive and Occupational Medicine at the University of Washington.

Dr. Orford served as a Deputy Minister responsible for public and occupational health in Alberta, Canada, followed by a medical career at Mayo Clinic Rochester, Mayo Clinic Healthcare London, and Mayo Clinic Arizona. He has served as Joint Medical Director for Northwest Airlines.

A Fellow of the American College of Physicians, the Royal College of Physicians of Canada, the Aerospace Medical Association, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the American College of Preventive Medicine, and the Royal Society of Medicine, he has been President of the International Airlines Medical Association, the Arizona Medical Association, and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.