Bailey Ivory, a Reno native and graduate of Spanish Springs High School, will begin her residency in the Pediatrics Residency Program at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. Ivory said on May 4 that her journey into medicine was shaped by both her early experiences in athletics and a deep connection to her community.
Ivory’s path highlights the importance of local mentorship and community support for students pursuing medical careers. Her story underscores how personal setbacks, such as a career-ending knee injury during college softball, can lead to new opportunities.
“Truthfully, softball was kind of my path to college from the get-go,” Ivory said. After returning home from New Jersey due to injury, she enrolled at the University of Nevada, Reno. Internships in labor and delivery as well as pediatrics helped solidify her interest in medicine. “I realized I was meant to be at the bedside, rather than in a classroom working with kids,” she said.
On Match Day, Ivory learned she would stay in Reno for her pediatrics residency—her top choice. “This dream was shaped entirely by this community,” she said. She credited faculty mentors like Dr. Elizabeth Nakae and Dr. Bronwyn Carlson for their guidance throughout medical school: “There was never a time in the last four years where I felt lost… I would do med school again in a heartbeat.”
Ivory also recalled an early encounter with Kristina Deeter, M.D., chair of pediatrics at UNR Med: “Dr. Deeter smiled and said, ‘I’m building you a residency program.’ It made pediatrics at home feel real — like there was truly a place being created for students like me.” The Pediatrics Residency Program launched in July 2023 is now addressing physician shortages across Nevada while providing comprehensive training opportunities based at Renown Children’s Hospital.
Looking ahead, Ivory expressed enthusiasm about helping shape the new program: “Being a new program,there’sa lot of ‘choose your own adventure’ to it,” she said.
Throughout her education and personal challenges—including supporting family members through illness—Ivory found strength from local mentors and supporters: “It takes a village to raise a kid but it takes a community to raise a med student,” she said.
As she prepares for residency while continuing lifelong passions outside medicine such as cheering on Nevada basketball with family members, Ivory reflected on giving back: “This is where it all started… Now I get to give back to the same community that made me who I am.”