Featured Practice

Name:  Jason Bollenbeck   

Year Degree Received:1998

Years at Current Location:3

Specialty/Type of Practice: Small Animal

What are the biggest challenges/rewards of your practice?  The biggest reward is to provide the highest quality medicine in a family-like environment.

What are some of your favorite memories from your time as a DVM student at Illinois?  Working in the wildlife ward sophomore and junior years.   Doing parasitology research for Drs. Carl Jones and Allan Paul.  Small animal medicine and surgery rotations senior year.

What lessons did you take away from your DVM education and how have they applied to your practice?  The solid education I received from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Illinois has given me the knowledge to provide the quality medicine I practice today.

Were you involved in any student clubs or organizations?  1996-1998 director of the student chapter of AAHA.

Read more about Towne Animal Clinic

Name: Robert W. Pope

Year Degree Received:  1974

Years at Current Location: Mosinee Veterinary Clinic, Mosinee, Wisconsin since January 8, 1976

Specialty/Type of Practice: Small Animal/Exotic

What are the rewards of your practice? I love my work and I love what I do – especially seeing pets and their people. 

What are some of your favorite memories from your time as a DVM student at Illinois? Studying with classmates, eating lunch in the anatomy lab, and working in the diagnostic lab.

What lessons did you take away from your DVM education and how have they applied to your practice?  The University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine taught me how to learn.  I can only do today what I do because I wasn’t just taught the basics-- I was taught how to continue to learn new things.  So much has changed -– new diseases, new procedures -- I can adapt and change because I was taught well.

I remember one of my large animal professors, Dr. Thurman, getting mad and yelling at us “I only have you here for a few short years and I can’t teach you everything but at least I can teach you how to learn.”

Are you currently involved with the University of Illinois?  Do you have a favorite fund to support?

We have supported the Companion Animal Memorial Fund since it started.  We love what they do!

Name: Robert D. Ness

Year Degree Received: 1990

Years at Current Location: Since February 2008

Specialty/Type of Practice: Avian and Exotic Pets, Holistic Pet Care for Exotics, Dogs and Cats

What are the biggest challenges/rewards of your practice: The biggest rewards are having a direct impact on the lives of clients and making a difference in the quality of life of my patients.  The biggest challenge is to overcome problems such as poor nutrition and husbandry which are often caused by misinformation about how to care for a particular species

What are some of your favorite memories from your time as a DVM student at Illinois? Working in the Wildlife Medical Clinic and helping to expand the avian and exotics curriculum.

What lessons did you take away from your DVM education and how have they applied to your practice? Develop a strong foundation in science and medicine and you can apply it to situations in practice regardless of species or conditions.

Name:  Wayne R. Anderson

Year Degree Received:   1979

Years at Current Location:   26 years at first location (18 Practices, 65 doctors of which 27 are partners)

Specialty/Type of Practice:  Small Animal

What are the biggest challenges/rewards of your practice?

Continuing to improve in medicine and surgery via knowledge, equipment and technology while continuing an essential successful business model. This includes successful coaching and mentoring staff allies, associates and partners.

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

The original OTS house which was somewhat like Animal House – a good mix of 1^st through 4^th year vet students. Interacting with the wide range of personalities on the teaching staff.

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

Don’t let a negative or poor personality, of a specific professor get in the way of gaining the knowledge they do have to offer.  In the real world you can learn a lot from people you don’t like or know very well.

Were you involved in any student clubs or organizations?

OTS – otherwise, there were not a lot of clubs for just vet students, or students who did not did not do their undergrad at Illinois. Vet students did have teams for university intramural sports.

Are you currently involved with the University of Illinois? Do you have a favorite fund to support?

Mostly, but not often enough. University of Illinois Veterinary College Funds.

Name: Dr. Mark Sturdy
Year Degree Received: 1984 
Years at Current Location: 19 years 

Specialty/Type of Practice: Small animal

What are the biggest challenges/rewards of your practice? 
It's a challenge to balance staying active in the community, maintaining a healthier pet population and practicing veterinary medicine and surgery.  The biggest reward is facilitating the vet/pet/client bond.

What are some of your favorite memories from your time as a DVM student at Illinois?
Over the course of four years, I realized that veterinary medicine had more potential for a career that just embryo transferring registered cattle.  I enjoyed the vet/student interaction during the last two years.  No memory would be complete without mentioning the unending and lifelong support of Dr. Erwin Small.

What lessons did you take away from your DVM education and how have they applied to your practice?
A practitioner will be presented with a wide variety of cases throughout a lifetime, and needs to be willing to utilize any and all potential treatment protocols (specialty practices, consultations, referrals) to promote animal health and client satisfaction.

Are you currently involved with the University of Illinois? Do you have a favorite fund to support?
We (my wife Teresa, myself and sometimes our kids) have had seasons tickets to basketball and football for 20 years and continue to support the I Fund.  We have recently sponsored the Dr. Mark and Teresa Sturdy Family Endowment.  We also support the Presidents Council. 

Pictured above is Dr. Sturdy's Illini Room at his home.