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Internal Medicine

As a graduate of Columbia Military Academy (CMA) in Columbia, Tennessee, Robert Dunnebacke, MD, had his sights set on being a pilot in the United States Air Force. He had originally planned to attend the U. S. Air Force Academy after high school graduation. An unfortunate hunting accident would change the Mount Pleasant native’s plans and cause him to look at other career options. Due to the injuries to his leg from the accident, he was considered in the early 1970s to be ineligible for the Vietnam draft.

“A friend of mine was loading a shot gun, and it was pointing toward the ground near my ankle,” said Dunnebacke, “When the gun went off, my ankle was severely damaged. He underwent two corrective surgeries and missed more than three months of his junior year in high school. “I know it was God’s way of directing the course of my life,” he said.

It was Dunnebacke’s experiences as a part-time orderly at Maury County Hospital throughout high school and during summer breaks that made him realize his interest in medicine. “When I was an orderly, you did a lot more than orderlies are allowed to do today,” he said. “Initially you would work without pay until you proved to be worthy of an hourly wage. Regardless, though, I would have to say the experiences I got as an orderly helped me not only get into medical school but also have influenced me in many ways as a physician.”

As a part-time orderly, Dunnebacke saw first-hand what it was like to take care of a patient’s needs, including those that are most basic. “We were generally the ‘go-fer,’ doing pretty much everything that needed to be done from making beds, taking vital signs and transporting patients to putting in Foley catheters, giving enemas and prepping patients for surgery,” said Dunnebacke. “It was the experience of a lifetime for any potential doctor. Although it would be hard to do without taking time off, I think all medical students would greatly benefit from being an orderly for a year. It would make them communicate better with both patients and nurses, whom they would also learn to appreciate more. Working at that basic level really gives you an idea of how things work from the bottom up.”

After graduating from CMA in 1971, Dunnebacke entered Texas A& M University in College Station, Texas, to major in the pre-med program. The program courses were set up so that if a student accelerated enough he or she could get accepted into medical school after three years of college. Dunnebacke did just that and returned to Tennessee to attend medical school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. Graduating in 1977, Dunnebacke has the distinction of being a member of the last three-year medical school class at UT-Memphis. “About halfway through medical school, I realized I loved solving complex medical situations and the pathophysiology of unusual diseases,” said Dunnebacke, who chose internal medicine as his area of practice.



With three seemingly his “magic” number, Dunnebacke remained in Memphis for the next three years to complete his internship and chief residency in internal medicine at Methodist Hospital Central. At the ripe old age of 27, he moved to Jackson to join the Medical Clinic of Jackson in September 1980. He celebrated his 30th year in practice at the clinic this September.

“I liked the community,” he said. “Jackson is unique. It is about as small an area you can have and still have such an advanced medical community available to you. It is a great situation for a physician; we have all the newest technology to give the best care possible, but have a great place to live and enjoy family life. We are so fortunate that we do not have to send patients to Memphis or Nashville for complex treatments; we can handle most of them right here in Jackson.”

Dunnebacke, who is board certified in internal medicine with specialized interests in geriatric medicine, sees a large number of geriatric patients. “I would say the percentage of my patients that are over 65 has not really changed since I started to practice,” said Dunnebacke. “People are living longer; baby boomers are getting older. I see predominantly common chronic illnesses, osteoarthritis, hypertension and diabetes. As a patient gets older, you see more problems per visit and increasingly complicated issues.”

West Tennessee Healthcare acquired the Medical Clinic of Jackson in 2009, which allows Dunnebacke to focus his practice on office patients. “It has been a good move for me,” said Dunnebacke. “I see medicine heading in that direction, and it is the trend of the future. With all the complexities and rules associated with the current climate in healthcare, it is just not practical for me to see patients both in the office and in the hospital.”

Outside of the office, he enjoys spending time with his wife, two married children and three young grandchildren. Road biking is one of his several hobbies. He bikes an average of 30 to 40 miles a couple of times a week. He also enjoys restoring cars, rock climbing, training dogs and sailing.

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Dr. Robert Dunnebacke and Belle, one of the dogs he has trained when not practicing at the Medical Clinic of Jack

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