2021 Outstanding Alumnus Award Winner
As a pediatrician in Memphis for over 50 years, Sid Wilroy has served in many roles at UTHSC as well as Memphis hospitals, especially Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.
He is a 1957 graduate of Vanderbilt University and 1960 graduate of UTHSC. He did a pediatric internship at St. Louis Children’s Hospital at Washington University in 1961, followed by a residency in pediatrics at Le Bonheur and Memphis City Hospital. A master of science degree was awarded in 1966 following a three-year US Public Health Service Postdoctoral Trainee in Pediatric Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases at UTHSC.
He served in the U.S. Army Reserves 330th General Hospital for 8 years, discharged with the rank of Captain.
At UTHSC Dr. Wilroy was an instructor in the Department of Pediatrics in 1967, assistant professor in 1968, and professor in 1979. During this period, the pediatric consulting group divided into nephrology, endocrinology, diabetes, and genetics. He worked with Dr. Robert Summit in the section of genetics and served as chief of the Genetics Division from 1984–1990. (Other notable professors in this consulting group were Dr. James Etteldorf, Dr. Shane Roy, and Dr. Al Camacho.)
He is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and the American Board of Human Genetics.
His love of teaching has been documented by numerous Golden Apple Teaching Awards and Excellence in Teaching Awards. Medical students have requested that he speak at graduations.
Academically, Dr Wilroy has published 25 book chapters, 86 journal articles, and presented 168 papers. He has been a visiting professor in national and international institutions, including some in Central and South America and Europe.
To provide genetic services to patients in Tennessee, he initiated a state-supported plan to fund genetic centers in major cities (Johnson City, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Nashville, and Memphis). This began in 1989 and continues today.
Sid Wilroy retired from the university in 2016 at age 80.
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