Springfield Clinic’s Dermatology Department is welcoming a new, highly specialized physician to their team this month.

Bridget McIlwee, DO, found a love for science early in life, even making it to the Illinois State Science Fair in eighth grade. Much later, after several years of postgraduate pharmacogenetic research at the University of Chicago, Dr. McIlwee decided that she wanted to become a physician, combining her love of science with a career of caring for others.

Dr. McIlwee received her medical degree from the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University. She completed an internal medicine internship at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in affiliation with University Hospitals Regional Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio, followed by her dermatology residency at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth. After residency, she completed two fellowships: one in dermatopathology at ProPath in Dallas, Texas, and a second in micrographic surgery and dermatologic oncology at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Why dermatology? While in medical school, Dr. McIlwee was diagnosed with skin cancer and needed to undergo surgical treatment. Her experiences as a dermatology patient led her to pursue training as a dermatologist and additional specialization as a dermatopathologist and a fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon. “Due to my extensive fellowship training, I am very unique in the world of medicine and dermatology. This allows me to provide an exceptional level of care to my patients,” she says. Dr. McIlwee’s practice at Springfield Clinic will include treating skin cancers with Mohs surgery, a highly specialized procedure which has a cure rate of approximately 99% when performed by a board-certified dermatologist.

“Whether I am removing a dangerous skin cancer with Mohs surgery and making the scar as imperceptible as possible,” says Dr. McIlwee, “or helping to clear a patient’s rash, I know I can make a positive impact on their daily life. It is so rewarding.” Dr. McIlwee is board certified in dermatology and dermatopathology and is a fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon. She will be located on the fourth floor of Main Campus West at 1025 South Sixth Street. The board-certified dermatologists with Springfield Clinic offer a full spectrum of medical and cosmetic care for the skin, hair and nails of patients of all ages. To learn more about Dr. McIlwee and the Dermatology team, click here.