Featured Practice

Name: John A. Coyne, DVM, Midwest Animal Hospital

Location: Orland Park, Ill.

Year Degree Received: 1974

Years at Current Location: 4 years

Specialty/Type of Practice: Companion animal medicine and surgery; boarding, grooming, house-calls, training, daycare and canine reproduction.

What are the biggest challenges/rewards of your practice?
Veterinary medicine was my childhood dream and has become my passion.  Every day is a day I enjoy.

What are some of your favorite memories from your time as a DVM student at Illinois?
I thoroughly enjoyed my seven years at the University of Illinois.  I was able to take advantage of the cultural events along with my formal education.  It was a total awakening.

What lessons did you take away from your DVM education and how have they applied to your practice?
First, I made my best friendships.  I learned to push to be your best.  You either move ahead or fall behind, but you don't stand still.  You must adapt.  You must create.

Were you involved in any student clubs or organizations?  Which ones?
Student Chapter of the AVMA, OTS, and Theta Xi Social Fraternity.

Are you currently involved with the University of Illinois? Do you have a favorite fund to support?
I Fund, College of Veterinary Medicine Scholarships and the President's Council.

Name: Steven Cairo, DVM

Year Degree Received: 1976

Years at Current Location: 31

Specialty/Type of Practice: Small Animal

What are the biggest challenges/rewards of your practice?
Providing my staff the opportunity to practice the highest quality of medicine and surgery through continuing education and state-of-the-art equipment and facility; my patients are the biggest winners.

What are some of your favorite memories from your time as a DVM student at Illinois?
The camaraderie of the students trying to emulate their instructors.

What lessons did you take away from your DVM education and how have they applied to your practice?
Dr. Small's lesson- If you missed it because you didn't see it, I can excuse that. If you missed because you didn't look that is inexcusable.

Are you currently involved with the University of Illinois? Do you have a favorite fund to support?
The Companion Animal Memorial Fund.

Name:   Robin Downing, DVM, CVA, CPE, CCRP, DAAPM

Year Degree Received:   1986

Years at Current Location:   18

Practices:  Windsor Veterinary Clinic / The Downing Center for Animal Pain Management

What are the biggest challenges/rewards of your practice?

The biggest challenges are striving every day to exceed our clients’ expectations;  continuing to  provide clients with fact-based, science-driven information so they can better evaluate information they receive from other sources (i.e., the Internet);  and assisting clients with setting priorities for their pets to accommodate the challenging current economy.

 The greatest rewards are  reducing or eliminating unnecessary pain in a patient;  witnessing the restoration of function in a  previously encumbered pet;  advocate on behalf of beings who cannot speak for themselves by sharing my expertise via educational seminars at regional, national, and international conferences.

 What are some of your favorite memories from your time as a DVM student at Illinois?

The move from the older buildings on the main campus into the “brand new” Basic Sciences building - - very exciting for my class!

 What lessons did you take away from your DVM education and how have they applied to your practice?

I took away from my education at U of I that there were terrific mentors on the faculty there, that I needed to tap into them once I was in practice (which I did), and that I needed to follow their example by providing mentorship to up-and-coming veterinary students (which we do).