First Day Jitters Deserve a Dose of Dr. Jack Wilson: Beloved Professor a Gross Anatomy MVP for Decades

One former student wrote in a letter to Jack Wilson, PhD: "We can all say Dr. Wilson has made us better as physicians."

For many former medical students at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, their inaugural course and pivotal gross anatomy subject also equate to the cherished Jack Wilson, PhD. From his teaching style and compassion to his calm and forward-thinking, more than 14,000 medical students have experienced his skilled and impactful pedagogy.

"I didn't realize my career would be anatomy at first," Dr. Wilson says of his journey into teaching; the education spark ignited when he had a freshman biology teacher. "He always taught so well, and I thought if I was ever going teach, I would like to be like that."

The university recently named Dr. Wilson, now an emeritus professor, as the 2025 Honorary Member of the College of Medicine Alumni Council. He retired in 2015 after 47 years at UT Health Sciences, though he still teaches now and then.

Dr. Wilson has nearly 150 letters from students over the years, thanking him.

"Words cannot begin to express the immense impact you had on not just me but the countless faces of young students."

One of Dr. Wilson's former students Michael Hocker, MD, executive dean of the College of Medicine, presented Dr. Wilson with his award at the 2025 alumni awards ceremony.

Born and raised in North Mississippi, he went on to attend the University of Southern Mississippi, then graduate school at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. After his PhD program, he accepted the position in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at the UT Health Science Center.

The institution promoted him to professor in 1990, and he received the Distinguished Alumni Professor of Anatomy title in 2000. Dr. Wilson was also the gross anatomy course director for 27 years.

"Immense good you have done through one of the most fundamental courses in medical training."

One of Dr. Wilson's former students

The heralded professor says one of the highlights of his career was the privilege of teaching medical students, having taught each one who came to UT Health Sciences all those years. In the letters previous students have given him, there are stories about their experiences, how much the course meant to them, and how much he motivated them.

"It was always a challenge, because I was the first person they'd see on the first day of medical school, the first class they'd come into. I always try to encourage them to not feel discouraged when maybe a grade or class doesn't go the way they want. My philosophy was always, let the class know what they need to know in clinical anatomy.

Make sure they understood. Lead them with firmness, but you also lead them with compassion. I was trying to get them to adjust to the emotional stress that's there. With every one of them sitting there that first day, nervous and scared, I always tried to tell them, do the work one day at a time."

At his retirement ceremony, opening remarks jokingly made clear how if a student was sitting through one of Dr. Wilson's famously enriching lectures and paying any sort of attention - and you didn't find you understood things pretty well by the end - well, you really had to be dumb as a post.

Dr. Wilson was there for his students. He would make concessions for specific ones when there was a major family issue, death, illness, or injury. Sometimes they ended up in the hospital from an accident or disease, and he would go over to the hospital and see them.

"I listened and talked to a number of students, keeping them from dropping out of school in their first year because of grades or many other reasons. I knew they could do it. Most of them at a later time let me know how appreciative they were of my encouragement for saving their careers."

One time on the sidewalk, Dr. Wilson ran into a couple students who had skipped class. He asked them where they were headed. They admitted they didn't go to class. He said they were missed and asked again where they were off to. They said breakfast and he responded, "OK, let's go!"

"You were my teacher but at that moment and others, you were a great mentor and friend."

One of Dr. Wilson's former students

Of his many teaching awards, Dr. Wilson says, "Those never got old. Every one of them was very appreciated. I was very thankful I had the opportunity to have a little bit of imprint in their lives. Awards were not old hat. Every one was unique and I was grateful for. Among those, there was one award I won 13 times, from the senior fourth-year graduating class."

The university eventually discontinued the award, probably because he got it every year.

"Forty-seven years," he says, reflecting. "What did I do? All I did was what I loved to do. I did what I thought I needed to do and how I needed to do it. Not for the awards but what students needed. The reward was kind of a dessert plate."

The students certainly showed their gratitude for his teaching, awarding him about 70 teaching awards over time, the most of any faculty at UT Health Sciences.

"The intelligent yet gentle professor, who helped ease my transition into the rigorous medical school curriculum."

One of Dr. Wilson's former students

His awards include many Golden Apples and best first-year medical student course director awards. Dr. Wilson additionally served on many UT Health Sciences committees, including nine years on the admissions committee and several curriculum planning committees.

"I always took those committees very seriously. We were designing curriculum…that would be impacting their medical career but also impacting their daily lives. We wanted to provide a foundation in clinical anatomy, but at the same time it had to be something manageable on their end. Anatomy books would be 1,200 pages long, and there's no way a student can learn all that. We would need to lead them. There were tremendous faculty members I worked with. It was always a team approach."

The veteran professor realized it might be time to retire when he was teaching the grandchildren of previous students, when students started to say a grandparent said to tell him hello.

Married to his wife Rosemarie for 60 years, they live in Southaven, Mississippi, and have three children, eight grandchildren, and 13 greatgrandchildren, almost all local.

"Almost every one of my children and now great-grandchildren are going to a pediatrician I taught. They always have to have a discussion about me before they look at the kid."

Seeing former students who are now successful practicing physicians is most rewarding, he says.

"My wife always has a joke when we're traveling across Tennessee. She says, how long is it going to be before some former student recognizes you?"

He can recognize faces but can't remember all names, though he says they're always kind enough to remind him and tell stories.

"That's the reward, when you see the result of all your hard work."