Urology is a demanding career. It requires intense medical training, long, taxing hours and the appropriate level of skill to provide patients with correct diagnoses and treatment options.
For Dr. W. Scott Dougherty, a career as a urological surgeon is worth it for one reason.
“The people,” he says. “I like doing surgeries, obviously, but seeing people come back, hearing about families, hearing about a lot of different things, it’s just life itself.”
Dougherty’s interest in urology developed when he was a third-year medical student at the University of Kansas.
“Urology developed only because we had to do surgical rotations and I was assigned to that as a third-year student, and I liked it a lot,” Dougherty says.
He finished medical school and completed a residency in general surgery and another in urology at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago.
Not long after that, he put down roots in Wisconsin.
“I jokingly talked to my wife and said, ‘Somebody up in Green Bay has a job,’ and she said, ‘Let’s take a look,’” Dougherty says. “Her sister went to St. Norbert so she kind of knew the area. That’s what got us up here for the interview. And we’ve been here and kept my kids in one place.”
That matters because Dougherty’s family moved a lot because of his father’s job with a wholesale foods distributor. While growing up, Dougherty lived in California, Alabama and Kansas, among other locales.
“About every three years we moved,” he says.
Dougherty has remained in Green Bay, practicing with BayCare Clinic since its inception in 1996. He sees patients with Aurora BayCare Urological Surgeons in Green Bay and Two Rivers. He is board certified by the American Board of Urology.
A seasoned urological surgeon, he specializes in cancer treatment, erectile dysfunction, female urology, general urology, incontinence, kidney disorders, vasectomy, prostate enlargement and more.
When seeing patients, Dougherty tries to help them feel as comfortable as possible.
“I can’t say I’m a very funny guy, but I try to relax them by just making our visits relaxed,” he says. “I know it’s a very sensitive subject for a lot of people but it’s what we do every day, I remind them of that. That we’re used to this.”
He also emphasizes patient education.
“Certainly, I am one that tries to educate people and I think if they understand their process, they will be more at ease with whatever the outcome may be because there’s certain things you just can’t cure,” he says. “I try to explain how things work to a point they understand and as to why this medicine is given to them vs., ‘Here, take this and let me know if it makes you better.’”
When he isn’t in surgery or meeting with patients, you’ll likely find Dougherty spending time outdoors with his family.
“I like hunting in the fall, I like fishing, bike riding; just enjoying the beautiful weather of God’s country up here.”