University of Illinois has always been a part of my life,” says Associate Professor Lorin Whittaker Jr., MD ’63, BS ’59. “Other people have moved around to many different places, but I found one I liked, and I stayed with it.”
This enthusiasm is clear in the impact Whittaker has on students. A faculty member since 1971, Whittaker took over as director of Peoria’s Surgery Clerkship Program in 1991. Since then, the number of Peoria students choosing surgery has increased every year, with students winning top awards including the Lloyd M. Nyhus Research Scholarship Wards and the Warren H. Cole Award. In recognition of his exemplary contributions to the Peoria’s surgery program, Whittaker was named 2005 Faculty of the Year.
According to Whittaker, a key element in the success of the surgery clerkship is its emphasis on mentorship. “I think mentoring is a very important part of our clerkship program,” says Whittaker. “It is different from just teaching. Teaching is transmitting the information; mentoring is taking an interest in students beyond teaching and becoming supportive of them and their efforts.”