Deborah Bross, MD
About me
Two weeks before my 4th birthday, my family and I moved to Collinsville, IL, in the Metro East suburbs of St. Louis, MO. Growing up was interesting in a small town as the daughter of immigrants, my father from London, England, and my mother from Casablanca, Morocco. I always enjoyed science and math in school and wanted to pursue a career in dentistry from the time I was 5 until I was in my freshman year at Washington University in St. Louis. One day while studying in my dorm room, I realized I would be bored only working on teeth all day. A career in medicine would provide more variety.
The need for broader experiences has continued to shape my adult life professionally and personally. While attending SIU School of Medicine, I was drawn to Family Medicine by the opportunity it provides to take care of a wide variety of issues across all age groups. I stayed within the SIU system to complete my residency, graduating from SIU Belleville Family Practice in 1996. I tested the waters of several different practice arrangements after residency including employed physician in a large group, faculty at my old residency, and co-owner/partner in a small private practice before serving as the younger physician in a two physician practice in Troy, IL in August 2000. My private practice and personal life flourished over the next 16 years.
Between March 2005 and April 2016 when I left private practice for employment as a hospitalist, I met my husband, married and had 3 children. My husband and I were also able to acquire land near his family’s farm as well as eventually the original farm in Northeast Missouri. Time away from work now includes enjoying the labor and amenities of our farm – crops, floods, wildlife, growing watermelons, playing in the river, watching the kids play without worry. We have additionally been homeschooling our children since July 2017.
I am excited to have the opportunity to share all my experiences with new physicians embarking on their primary care careers as a faculty member of the SIU Alton Family Medicine Residency Program. As I do with my children, I expect will we grow together.
Member of: AAFP, IAFP, ISMS, Madison County Medical Society