Donald Sandercock, DO
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Specialties: Board Certification: SBL Orthopedics & Sports Medicine |
Former U.S. Air Force surgeon Donald M. Sandercock II, DO, brings a wide array of experiences to Sarah Bush Lincoln’s Orthopedic and Sports Medicine. While Dr. Sandercock comes to the community from the Orthopaedic Center of Greeneville, Tennessee, he previously served 24 years in the U.S. Air Force. He ended his military career in March 2006.
Born in Chicago, Dr. Sandercock grew up in Quincy and entered the U.S. Air Force in 1981 following the death of his father. Searching for his life’s ambition, he was assigned as an orthopedic surgery technician at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, DC.
“There was a need in this area and I found that I loved my job,” Dr. Sandercock said, adding that it gave him the incentive to become a doctor. By attending night school at the University of Maryland, he earned an undergraduate degree in zoology. In 1988, he entered medical school at the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine on a military scholarship, followed by an internship at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.
Married with three daughters, Dr. Sandercock became an emergency room physician at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, where a fourth daughter was born. He and his wife, Debra, met in England while both were serving in the U.S. Air Force. Mrs. Sandercock continued her military service until 1996.
Following a residency at Michigan State University, Dr. Sandercock was deployed to Yokota Air Base in Japan in 2000, where he served two years as an orthopedic surgeon. The entire family moved to Japan and enjoyed their new lifestyle. “Japan is a very structured society – very clean and orderly. The girls enjoyed themselves and appreciated the experience of living abroad,” he said.
While still in Japan, Dr. Sandercock was deployed to the Philippines for eight months following the terrorist attacks in New York City on September 11, 2001. Muslim extremists inhabiting Southeast Asia began causing unrest following the attacks and Dr. Sandercock provided care to the servicemen and women trying to maintain control.
Dr. Sandercock came back to the United States in 2002, where he served as an orthopedic surgeon for the Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Florida. In March 2003, he was deployed to Iraq for four months. “Being able to support the troops and the global war on terrorism, including the events in the Philippines and Iraq, has been very fulfilling,” he said.
Though now he is looking forward to moving back to Illinois to practice. His focus is simply to improve his patients’ quality of life. “Thankfully, we get to see people get well quickly in orthopedics. If someone breaks an arm, we can watch it heal in a couple of months. It’s very satisfying to watch people heal,” he said. “I have fun doing what I do. I try to make my patients comfortable, and I try to relieve their pain.”
Education
- Internship - Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Wright State University, Dayton, OH
- Residency - Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
- Medical School - Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Kirksville, MO