Knox graduate Lawrence Murray finds ways to give back inside and outside the emergency room

For the past two-and-a-half years, 2018 Knox College graduate Lawrence “Larry” Murray has worked in the emergency department at OSF St. Mary Medical Center as a physician assistant (PA) in Galesburg, helping patients with various illnesses and injuries. He’s also served as the inpatient advanced practice provider for a year, working with various hospital departments.

Murray’s passion extends beyond OSF. Giving back to his alma mater and serving others locally and abroad drives his commitment to making a difference.

After graduating from Knox, Murray was like many other recent college grads, looking for his place in the world. Unsure where to go, the biochemistry major and biology/Spanish minor decided to explore the medical field and found something he loved. 

“When I graduated from Knox, I was not well immersed in what health care opportunities were. I had intentions of going to medical school, but for whatever reason, I had some restraint toward applying,” he said. “I decided I need to take some time, back up a little bit, get a job in health care, and find out if it was really the right thing for me. I stepped back and worked as an EMT in St. Louis for two-and-a-half years and eventually found, through a friend who allowed me to shadow a physician’s assistant he knew, that I really had an interest in the patient care aspect of what physician assistants do.”

That experience of searching for the right thing gave Murray an idea. Understanding how hard it can be to transition to post-college life, Murray wanted to help give Knox College students someone in the medical field they could lean on for advice, opportunity, and experience. 

A meeting between Murray and Lisa Harris, Vovis Center for Research and Advanced Study and Health Professions Advising Director, gave Murray his chance to be that mentor for students looking for hands-on information on working in the medical field.

“I wanted to offer my experiences in my role in the emergency room to see if that was a career path students were interested in,” Murray said. “A couple of people did take me up on that; they came in and saw what I do, how the department moves, and saw all the health care professionals in a department. I hope that experience gives them an idea not only about what I do, but what opportunities are out there. It’s something I didn’t feel I had any exposure to prior to leaving Knox. I’m so happy Lisa is opening doors for people and giving them the opportunity to get that exposure. I think it is great for Knox going forward.”

Not only has Murray offered job shadow experiences for Knox students, but he was also a panelist at a campus lecture, Ignite the Fire, last September, and has met Knox students outside of work one-on-one to answer any questions about his experiences in the medical field, building a resume, applying to schools, and work-life balance.

“A lot of what I try to give them is reassurance,” he said. “I graduated in 2018, and I did not get into clinical practice until 2022. It’s a grind, but anyone can do it. I tell them a Knox degree will put you in a great position to achieve anything you set out to do.”

Murray’s journey of giving has also taken him outside Galesburg. While working as an EMT in March 2020, he deployed with a team from St. Louis and worked in The Bronx, New York, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, helping patients and providing relief to workers.

“I did a lot of EMS relief. New York City was fielding around 5,000 to 7,000 emergency calls a day,” he said. “A lot of staff were out of commission because of how virulent and affected first responders were.”

The experience was an eye-opening one for Murray, who saw firsthand the impact medical professionals can have on their communities. It also inspired him and let him know he was on the right path.

“It was a tough experience, but I learned a ton from it,” he said. “You must be ready to respond to something, take on that role. It was a testament that I was ready to take the next step in health care—it was six months before I started PA school, and it made a big difference in my career.” 

Murray has not only provided healthcare nationally, but internationally as well. This January, he plans to go to Morales, in southeastern Guatemala, for a mission trip with a group out of St. Louis. It will be Murray’s third trip since November 2023. 

“It is a lot of basic, primary care medicine, educating patients on medical conditions, and prescribing medications to manage those conditions,” he said. “It was a huge, eye-opening experience for me. My background from Knox was always to try to reach out and do these kinds of mission work, that’s why I minored in Spanish. It was a dream to go with a group of like-minded people who want to help and provide services because we have those skills and knowledge. I feel strongly about that project and hope to keep doing it annually.”

Murray’s love of helping others and medicine has not only impacted his decision to do mission work but to help in Galesburg and, possibly, his hometown. But whether in Galesburg or St. Louis, he’ll always make a take for Knox students.

“My passion is in patient care, serving people in underserved communities. Galesburg has one emergency room and some deficits in primary care, so I think that qualifies,” he said. “I’m from St. Louis, and the five-year plan was to always wind up there at some point, which might be sooner than I expected. But I’ll always have a passion for helping Knox people. I hope to stay connected with Lisa Harris and the Pre-Health Club and provide any service I can.”

Published on November 17, 2025

- Scott Holland, Knox College Office of Communications