Inaugural 'Dr Pamela Gilligan Prize' presented at Medical Alumni meeting

15 Sep 2016

In memory of her life long passion for medicine and teaching and the firm belief in the importance of education, the family of Dr Pamela Gilligan have created 'The Pamela Gilligan Prize' to be awarded each year to the the best final year medicine projects.

The Inaugural Dr Pamela Gilligan Prize was presented this year at the medical alumni meeting to Dr Stephanie English and Dr Conor Haugh. Dr English completed a final year project "Incidence of acute kidney injury in adult patients with cystic fibrosis', and Dr Conor Haugh's project was entitled 'Identifying the learning outcomes for a pre-departure training course for medical students on electives in low resource settings in Africa.

Dr. Pamela Gilligan, was a lecturer in the Department of Anatomy for 27 years until her retirement in 1998. Dr Gilligan came from a medical family, she qualified from UCC in 1956. Joining the department of Anatomy in 1971 Dr Gilligan made a considerable contribution to the ever changing department and to the studies and lives of the medical and dental students during her time there. She was well loved and respected by her colleagues and students alike and with her great personality and intellect she was greatly missed by the Department and the University after her retirement.

An article by Dr Pamela Gilligan's daughter Dr Oonagh Gilligan entitled 'Hannah's Legacy' was recently published in 'The Medical Alumni and Faculty Spring 2016 Newsletter in which she traces the lives of three generations of women medics in her family, she describes how Dr Pamela Gilligan ' loved UCC and her students. When she died in 2014 it was evident that she was held in very high regard by many of her past pupils. We were regaled with stories of small acts of kindness, extra tuition, handholding through pass-fail orals etc. Above all she encouraged everyone to be the best they could - those at the bottom to have the self belief that they could pass and those at the top to fulfil their potential.'

'Hannah's Legacy' is reproduced here with the kind permission of the Gilligan family and the Medical Alumni Association.