The profession of medicine is a continuum, where the torch passes from one generation of physicians to the next. There was no better example of this than what occurred in August at UNMC — the passing of a legend and the arrival of the next generation of physicians.
On Aug. 22, the faculty, staff and students of the UNMC College of Medicine experienced profound sadness at the news that longtime faculty member Bob Wigton, MD, had passed away.
Dr. Wigton’s impact on the many generations of our trainees, faculty and staff over his more than five decades at UNMC was profound. He was a visionary and creator, as exemplified by his founding and longtime leadership of the UNMC Division of General Internal Medicine. His commitment to providing the best educational experience for our trainees included his decades-long leadership of residency programs as ACGME designated institutional officer and associate dean for graduate medical education.
He was a mentor to many, the unofficial UNMC historian, an artist, a supporter of the medical humanities, a committed advocate for the McGoogan Health Sciences Library, a visionary and a philanthropist. It was Dr. Wigton who played the major role in the creation of the heritage center that bears his name, as well as the wonderful displays of UNMC history that fill it.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Wigton helped shape what UNMC has become and will be in the future — and he did so with the understated manner and humility that reflect the deep UNMC and Nebraska roots that helped define him. Dr. Wigton epitomized the best of UNMC. We are grateful to have had him with us, and we will miss him deeply.
It is fitting that on the day of Dr. Wigton’s death, the entering class of UNMC medical students began their first formal day of classes – a symbolic passing of the torch. We had celebrated the new class’s arrival with our White Coat Ceremony just three days before. It was wonderful to be able to have the event in person at the Orpheum Theater and to have the coats actually bestowed upon the students, rather than handed to them as required by the COVID guidelines of last year.
Prior to the pandemic, Dr. Wigton had been a fixture at the White Coat Ceremony, providing the audience with a slide show describing the history of the UNMC College of Medicine. I have now incorporated some of that information into my comments at the ceremony, but I know that I will never be able to convey the information with the same passion and humor that Dr. Wigton brought to his presentation. Nevertheless, the ceremony went smoothly, except for the emcee (me) almost ending the program before the recital of the student oath.
As always, we welcome our newest group of students and look forward to being with them at graduation a few years down the line. The ceremony’s audience of friends and family also will be integral to their students’ success, as they provide support and encouragement during what will undoubtedly be times of stress during the rigorous and demanding process that is medical school. As faculty, we, too, appreciate and thank them in advance for this support.
I will close with one more message of congratulations and welcome to the class of 2026. The torch has been passed, and we know that you will carry it forward with pride and commitment to your patients and colleagues.