For almost 30 years, Dr. Mark Kroll has enjoyed a career that allows him to do one of the things he loves most – keeping people healthy.
That’s a far cry from his youth, when he struggled to choose a career.
As a student at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Kroll was interested in science but couldn’t chart a career path.
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” he says. “I always had a couple jobs. I painted houses, worked at a grocery store. I worked at a pickle yard for years in Green Bay and I worked in the lab.”
Kroll, a Green Bay native, wasn’t passionate about any of those jobs. The closest he got was when he explored a career as a dentist.
“I thought I wanted to be a dentist and I went to a dental office one day and sat with the dentist,” he says. That wasn’t the answer, either.
Kroll’s neighbor, a surgeon, suggested he consider a career as a physician.
“I had a dear neighbor years ago that tried to convince me to go into medical school and at that time I wasn’t too motivated of a student,” Kroll says. “I didn’t have the best grades academically.”
Over time, the thought of a medical career grew on him and soon Kroll found himself pursuing a medical career.
He earned his medical degree from Des Moines University in Des Moines, Iowa. It took hard work, self-discipline and the support of family, Kroll says.
“Academically, once I got into (medical) school I did very well,” he says. “But when I got into the clinical part, all of my scores and stuff were outstanding. I did really well working with people. It’s the people part that I think I like the best.”
Kroll completed a residency in family medicine at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee, then started practicing in Luxemburg.
In early 2020, Kroll joined BayCare Clinic as an urgent care physician. He practices at Urgent Care Plus at Aurora BayCare Health Center on West Mason Street in Green Bay.
It’s another opportunity for Kroll to savor “the people part” of his career.
“I enjoy working with people, talking to people and that’s probably the biggest thing,” he says. “I always treat everybody how I’d want to be treated – how I’d treat my family or myself.”
Away from the office, Kroll enjoys spending time with his family.
He’s has been married for 36 years and is the proud dad of four kids – a daughter who’s a literacy coach; a son who’s a machinist; another son who’s a medical student; and a third son who’s pursuing a degree in physical therapy.
Kroll also enjoys spending time outdoors – a lot of time outdoors.
“I do quite a bit of fishing and a lot of hunting,” he says. “I’m a big duck hunter. I have a yellow Lab. I’ve had Labs for the past 20 years. I always have a Lab to hunt with.”