Dr. Pollock was born in Chicago and received his B.S. (1944), M.D. (1945), M.S. (1948), and Ph.D. in Physiology (1951). He interned at Cook County Hospital in Chicago (1945–46) and served his residency at the Illinois Neuropsychiatric Institute (1948–51). He trained at the Chicago Institute of Psychoanalysis (1948–56) and remained affiliated with the institute as Assistant Dean of Education (1960–67), Director of Residency Training (1963–1971), and Associate Director (1970–71). He was Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the College of Medicine, University of Illinois (1964–72), a Professor of Psychiatry at Northwestern University, and at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. He served in the U.S. Army as a captain (1946–48).
Dr. Pollock was active in many professional organizations, including the Illinois Psychiatric Society (President, 1973–74); the American Psychoanalytic Society President (1974–75); an APA representative to the AMA Section Council on Psychiatry (1975-78); member of the American Psychosomatic Association, Society for Biological Psychiatry; Sigma Xi; American Medical Association; American Psychological Association; American Association for the Advancement of Science; and the American College of Psychiatrists. He has been published widely, including by 1989, four books, over 150 articles, and nine book chapters.
Dr. Pollock served as President of the American Psychiatric Association (1987–88).