Mary Mc Elroy

Advanced Practitiioner/Trainee Consultant HealthCare Scientist

Altnagelvin Hospital, Westerntrust and Social Care Trust, Derry, Northern Ireland

Biography

Presentation Title: A personal journey – Mary Mc Elroy: Advanced Practitiioner/Trainee Consultant HealthCare Scientist

Speaker Bio:

In 2010, I graduated from DIT with an honours degree in Biomedical Science, majoring in cellular pathology. Subsequently I spent six years working as a medical scientist in histology and neuropathology laboratories in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin. While working there I obtained a Master’s Degree in Biomedical Science from the University of Ulster and developed an interest and experience in tissue dissection where I also obtained the IBMS Diploma of Expert Practice (DEP) in histological dissection. In 2017, I emigrated to Perth, Western Australia for 2.5 years. I was employed by both the public and private hospitals, focusing a lot of my work on advanced cancer dissection of skin, gastrointestinal (GI), hepatobiliary, breast, gynae-oncology, urology, and respiratory specimens. Working within this role for over ten years this has helped me develop technical and communicative skills, enabling me to work independently in dissection with the support and confidence of my peers. I have experience in both management and leadership roles in a fully scientist led cutup comprising teaching, training, governance, quality and clinical audit.

In 2019, I returned home to take  up the role of a senior medical scientist dissector with the opportunity to train in reporting of GI pathology in the Histopathology Department in Altnagelvin Hospital, Derry. Currently, I am in the latter stage of the IBMS/RCPath Advanced Specialist Diploma (ASD)  in GI Histopathology Reporting. In 2022,  I also obtained the ASD in Lower GI dissection. The post is diverse, challenging and rewarding.  As an advanced dissector and trainee reporter I am thoroughly enjoying my role which involves cancer dissection, training in reporting of all GI pathology (biopsy and resections, benign and malignant) using digital pathology, and presenting the pathology at the weekly upper and lower GI MDT meetings. The course has also enabled me to travel for training and participation in research. I am a highly self-motivated team player, with a real passion and commitment to my clinical and laboratory team, and delivery of patient focused care.