A high profile Tauranga urologist has just returned from a prestigious visiting professorship in America and also recently picked up three international awards.

Professor Peter Gilling was invited to be this year's visiting professor at the renowned Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania earlier this month.

'It was an honour to be asked by such an esteemed institution and a very enjoyable experience,” said Professor Gilling, whose visiting professorship took place over 8-9 May.

Sidney Kimmel Medical College runs one of the most respected urology programmes in America and each year hosts a visiting professor.

Peter's time at the college included giving lectures, taking journal clubs (a forum in which students get an opportunity to discuss scientific papers and research-related issues), and speaking to resident students one-on-one about their research.

Being asked to be a visiting professor at a top American university such as Thomas Jefferson is a rare honour for a New Zealand urologist.

Peter undertook his first visiting professorship at New Hampshire's Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center 17 years ago.

In recent months, Peter has also picked up three international awards.

These included two at The Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (USANZ) conference in April: the Platinum Trophy for best endeavour presented at the meeting and the Low-Arnold Award for the best podium/poster presentation in the field of female or functional urology.

The third award was for winning a BPH (benign prostatic hyperplasia) debating contest at the American Society of Men's Health conference in Chicago earlier this month.

Peter was declared the winner following an audience vote.