MB BS Durham 1956; MRCOG 1964, FRCOG 1977; DObst 1960.
Cowie was registrar at Northern General Hospital and City General Hospital Sheffield before being appointed senior registrar at Royal Victoria Infirmary and Princess Mary Maternity Hospital Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Cowie was later appointed consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Park Hospital, Davyhulme. Cowie was a member of the North of England Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society and Manchester Medical Society .