Q&A with Dennis Shepherd, MD

Dennis Shepherd, MD, a longtime physician and medical director of Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital’s Emergency Department, is a champion at providing support for the next generation of health care professionals.

He joined Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital Foundation Board of Directors in 2017, volunteering his time to offer guidance and raise money for the hospital -- a place he has called home since he began practicing in 1994. As he describes, emergency department colleagues are part of his family.

Dr. Shepherd and his wife Jacqueline (Jacki) chaired the 2015 Spring Splendor Gala. Jacki is an active volunteer with the foundation, contributing her time to the gala each year. 

While Dr. Shepherd ended his term on the foundation board in June, he will continue to serve as chair of the foundation’s Scholarship Program.

When Did You Realize You Wanted a Career in Medicine?

I don’t believe that there was a specific moment or individual that inspired me to become a physician, but rather an accumulation of events that inuenced my decision. First off, there are no practicing physicians in my family. I grew up in Marshfield, Wisconsin where the economy of the small town was in large part based on the Marshfield Clinic Health System. My dad was involved in a terrible motorcycle accident when I was 14 years old and spent two months in the Intensive Care Unit. My senior thesis involved the effect of diabetes on dogs. I realized I was looking for something different.

I went to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and majored in biochemistry and molecular biology and then attended the Medical College of Wisconsin. I graduated in 1990 and completed my emergency medicine residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin. I began my career in Menomonee Falls in 1994.

Were You Always Interested in Emergency Medicine?

My initial interests were trauma surgery and emergency medicine. Emergency medicine allowed for more schedule exibility and a better life-work balance, although my wife may argue the part about work-life balance.

The emergency department is fast paced and ever changing and the variety of cases that you see is incredible. It is one of the few places where every patient population will mix. Unlike some private practice clinics or hospitals, everyone is welcome to receive care, whether they can pay or not. Patients who are young, old, wealthy, impoverished, di erent races, different educations, all receive care in the emergency department.

Most people who arrive in the emergency department are having one of the worst days of their lives. It is truly an honor to be the physician who takes care of patients and families in their time of greatest need.

Do You Think Finances Prohibit Some Potential Students From Attending Medical School?

I do believe there are very talented individuals with the skillset to attend medical school and/or nursing school who decline that career choice based on economical restraints. 

What Words of Wisdom Do You Have For Future Medical Professionals?

It’s not a job. It’s a career. You need to be an owner and not a renter. Invest in the community.

Why Should Donors Support the Scholarship Program?

Donating to scholarship funds creates lasting change. You are not only helping students access higher education but also transforming entire communities by opening doors to opportunities otherwise out of reach.

Your generosity sets an example for others, inspiring additional donations and fostering a culture of giving. It also motivates recipients to give back once they can do so, creating a cycle of generosity.

This is an investment in the future of health care in our community. Don’t you want the best taking care of you?