In season 9, J.D. becomes a visiting professor at Winston University, a medical school built on the old site of Sacred Heart, which has been torn down. He forms a bond with the series' new main character, Lucy Bennett (Kerry Bishé), whom he counsels through the rigors of life as a doctor. After a few months, however, he tells her that he eventually plans to move on, and that she must find a new mentor before he leaves. Finally, he leaves his teaching position and steps back from mentoring Lucy, determined that she must learn to function on her own.