(l-r): Peter McWhorter, MD; Linda McWhorter; Megan McCallen; and Philip J. McWhorter, MD
Surgeon Philip J. McWhorter, MD, of Greenwich received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2019 Doctors of Distinction ceremony for his 42-year-career at Greenwich Hospital and his commitment to mentoring the next generation of surgeons.
At the ceremony, Dr. McWhorter was recognized as an icon who is both loved and respected at the hospital and in the community. Dr. McWhorter thanked his family and colleagues, saying he had “fallen into good fortune” throughout his career. “At the end of the day, I don’t think anybody could think that being a physician isn’t the greatest profession of all and I want to thank all of those who allowed me to fall into it,” he said. “I feel blessed to have been at Greenwich Hospital for 42 years.”
A star athlete who played football, basketball and baseball at St. Lawrence University, Dr. McWhorter was on track to become a college coach when he decided to shift gears and attend medical school. He graduated from Cornell University Medical College in 1973 and completed his surgical residency and fellowship at New York Hospital and Memorial-Sloan Kettering.
Dr. McWhorter began his medical career as an attending surgeon in July 1977 at Greenwich Hospital and never left. He became the chief of surgery in the 1990s and remains in that role to this day. Throughout his career, he served on almost every medical and administrative committee at Greenwich Hospital, including serving as the chief of the medical staff for three terms and on the board of trustees for nine years.
Known as a consummate professional, Dr. McWhorter takes pride in caring for people and mentoring the next generation of surgeons, including his son, Peter McWhorter, MD, a colorectal surgeon at Greenwich Hospital.
Asked what cases stand out in his long career, Dr. McWhorter was quick to note: “It’s not the cases that stand out, it’s the people I remember and how I interacted with them.”
Fairfield County Doctors of Distinction was sponsored by Westfair Communications on May 23.
