Knowledge Bank

Dr. Mary McIlroy is the ninth Last Lecture speaker. She graduated from The Ohio State University College of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency at Nationwide Children's Hospital, including an additional year as Chief Resident. She then devoted 36 years to the students, residents, and faculty at the Ohio State College of Medicine and the Department of Pediatrics and Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Dr. McIlroy's passion for education led to her leadership and teaching of multiple aspects of the college curriculum, including teaching pediatric topics and mentoring students, developing and managing the clinical curriculum, and assessing and evaluating student progress. She directed the Med 3-4 Academic Program and the Pediatric Clerkship for decades, served as co-chair of the college General Objectives Task Force, and chaired the Executive Curriculum Committee, along with multiple other positions. At Nationwide Children's she was also Assistant Medical Director of Education and chair of the Graduate Medical Education Committee.

Dr. McIlroy counseled and guided many medical students, particularly those interested in pursuing pediatric careers, through a period of years when the college numbers far exceeded the national average of the percentage of students from medical schools entering pediatric residencies. She treasures the letters of gratitude and updates she received from students over many years and the continuing personal connections with them.

Dr. McIlroy has been honored with the College of Medicine Distinguished Educator Award, the Faculty Teaching Award and Master Teacher designation, the Gold Humanism Honor Society Mentoring Award, the College of Medicine Alumni Achievement Award, the College of Medicine Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Nationwide Children's Hospital Career Contribution Award.