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Born and raised in Reno, Nevada, Bailey Ivory’s path to medicine wasn’t linear — but it was always rooted in a deep connection to her community. 

A graduate of Spanish Springs High School, she finished as salutatorian and a state champion in softball. She began playing travel softball at just 11 years old, quickly committing herself to the sport and the opportunities it could provide. That dedication ultimately earned her a Division II scholarship to a top-25 program in New Jersey. 

“Truthfully, softball was kind of my path to college from the get-go,” she said. 

Alongside athletics, Ivory nurtured a long-standing passion for working with children. From an early age, she envisioned a future in education, often saying she would grow up to be a second-grade teacher. She entered college in New Jersey as an elementary education major, balancing academics with collegiate athletics. 

But life had other plans. Her trajectory changed during her freshman softball season, when a career-ending knee injury brought both her time in the sport — and her time across the country — to an abrupt halt. Ivory returned home to Reno, a move that became more than just a change in scenery. 

“It made me realize Reno would always be home,” she said. 

Back in familiar surroundings, Ivory enrolled at the ҹɫÊÓƵ, where earlier experiences began to take on new meaning. A labor and delivery internship she completed in high school at Renown Health resurfaced as a pivotal influence, reshaping how she imagined her future. 

“I realized I was meant to be at the bedside, rather than in a classroom working with kids,” she said. 

A second internship in pediatrics during her undergraduate years further solidified that calling, setting her on the path toward medical school at the ҹɫÊÓƵ School of Medicine — a journey she describes as both intentional and deeply personal. 

“It truly felt like everything aligned,” she said. “I was meant to serve the community that raised me.” 

A full-circle moment 

Now, as she prepares to graduate from medical school, Ivory is staying right where her journey began — matching into the  at UNR Med. 

“This dream was shaped entirely by this community,” she said. “If I had stayed in New Jersey, I probably would have become a second-grade teacher — and honestly, I still see myself as a teacher first. Now, I have the privilege of teaching at the bedside as a pediatrician — caring for children, partnering with families, and hopefully inspiring the next generation of kids in Reno to see that they belong in medicine too.” 

Her match is deeply connected to the growth of the program itself. During her first year of medical school, Ivory attended a town hall where she asked Kristina Deeter, M.D., chair of pediatrics at UNR Med and physician-in-chief at Renown Children’s Hospital, how the institution planned to support students interested in pediatrics.

“Dr. Deeter smiled and said, ‘I’m building you a residency program,” Ivory recalled. “It was such a simple moment, but it stayed with me. It made pediatrics at home feel real — like there was truly a place being created for students like me to grow, train and stay.” 

Just a few years later, that vision has become reality. Launched in July 2023, the Pediatrics Residency Program is already playing a critical role in addressing physician shortages across Nevada and beyond, while helping shape the future of pediatric care.  

Based at Renown Children’s Hospital, the region’s only pediatrics hospital in Northern Nevada, the program offers comprehensive training across the only NICU, PICU, Pediatric ER and Level II Trauma Center in the area. Residents gain hands-on experience caring for a largely underserved population, preparing them to become compassionate, board-certified pediatricians. 

“It’s really special to see it come full circle,” Ivory said. “By the time I finished medical school, the program was ready to go — it just shows how much this community believed in the need for pediatricians.” 

Building something new  

Looking ahead, Ivory is energized by the opportunity to help shape what comes next. 

“Being a new program, there’s a lot of ‘choose your own adventure’ to it,” she said. “We get to help decide what tracks we’re going to focus on and what extracurriculars we can build.” 

Two key factors drew her to the Pediatrics Residency Program at UNR Med: its mission and its impact. 

“One is our commitment to underserved populations — especially rural Nevada,” she said. “There are so many communities that don’t have access to a pediatrician, and our residency program is really working to bridge that gap.” 

Equally important is the program’s focus on education and early exposure to the field. 

“We’re doing a really good job getting more exposure to pediatrics earlier in medical school,” she said. “When you look at why fewer students are going into pediatrics, a lot of it has to do with limited exposure.” 

For Ivory, joining the program is about more than training — it’s an opportunity to advocate for the future of pediatrics while helping build something meaningful for the community that shaped her. 

A community that shows up 

Throughout her journey, Ivory points to one constant: the unwavering support of the community around her. 

“It takes a village to raise a kid, but it takes a community to raise a med student,” she said. 

From dedicated faculty mentors to generous local donors who invest in students through scholarship support — and even her own family, who stepped in as “practice patients”—Ivory credits her success to the people who showed up for her every step of the way. 

“I had such incredible mentors, like Dr. Elizabeth Nakae and Dr. Bronwyn Carlson. There was never a time in the last four years where I felt lost,” she said. “I would do med school again in a heartbeat.” 

That support extends beyond the classroom. Ivory highlights UNR Med’s uniquely collaborative, community-based approach to clinical education, where local physicians play an active role in training the next generation. 

“This is one of the only medical schools in the country where your rotations are fully organized for you,” she said. “Community physicians are incredibly welcoming and eager to bring students into their practices — and that kind of support is what makes students like me want to come back.” 

That sense of community became even more meaningful during one of the most challenging moments of her medical school journey. 

“My mom was diagnosed with cancer while I was in med school,” Ivory shared. “Navigating the health care system as both a student and a daughter changed my practice of listening.” 

Through that experience, Ivory witnessed firsthand the compassion and dedication of the Northern Nevada medical community — further strengthening her connection to the place she calls home. 

“My commitment to this community just grew as I saw these amazing faculty members taking care of my mom,” she said. “It made me a better clinician.” 

Finding balance and purpose 

Reflecting back on her journey, Ivory remains grounded in what has guided her all along — purpose, passion and balance, both inside and outside of medicine. 

“Figure out what makes your heart sing,” she said. “You’re going to come home from these long, 80-hour weeks either drained or re-energized — and that tells you a lot.” 

Throughout medical school, she made a point to stay connected to what fueled her beyond the classroom. She served as co-director of a youth camp held each summer — a commitment she carried through medical school — while also staying actively involved in multiple student interest groups, community outreach efforts and speaking engagements. 

“Figure out what makes your heart sing,” Ivory said.

“I really enjoyed getting to go out into the community,” she said. “Those experiences reminded me why I wanted to do this in the first place.” 

Her advice to future students is simple: “You’re not going to regret doing too much — you’re only going to regret the things you didn’t do.” 

That philosophy extended into how she built balance in her own life, including a lifelong passion for Nevada basketball. A Wolf Pack fan since childhood, she rarely missed a home game during medical school, attending all but a handful — fewer than five across her four years of training. 

“That’s been my thing with my dad for as long as I can remember,” she said. “It gave me balance, and honestly, I got better grades during basketball season.” 

As she prepares to begin residency, Ivory isn’t just stepping into her role as a pediatrician — she’s helping build and elevate a program she believes in, rooted in the same community that shaped her journey. 

“This is where it all started,” she said. “Now I get to give back to the same community that made me who I am.”