The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Dr. Chuck Pogue: 1957 Media Grad, Enjoying Private Practice
This is the twelfth in a series about doctors in the medical field who graduated in The Quill area schools.
It is about Dr. Charles E. Pogue, son of the late Mac and Lillian Pogue of Media. He is one of three siblings who work in the medical field.
Charles E. Pogue, MD
Dr. Charles Pogue, 60, is a doctor of Internal Medicine, running his own business in Silvis, Illinois - near the Quad Cities.
He grew up on a farm between Media and Stronghurst, the oldest of three children.
He was born Nov. 7, 1941 to Mac and Lillian (Stone) Pogue. His mother taught English-Literature classes in high school in Media and Stronghurst while his father ran the family grain and livestock farm.
Chuck said he and his younger brother Bob and sister Nancy, helped his father in the summer with raising cattle and hogs, and planting and harvesting corn and soybeans.
They enjoyed taking part in showing livestock at the Henderson County 4-H Fair in Stronghurst.
Chuck attended the Media schools and was a top student from the start. He was moved ahead from 1st to 2nd and again from 3rd to 4th making him one of the youngest students to attend high school at age 11. At the age of 15, he graduated high school in four years with the Class of 1957.
Most kids may think going though school quickly would be ideal, but it had its disadvantages. Chuck was limited in sports because of his age and size, although he did say he went out for basketball one year and he went out for football.
He was also too young to drive, and of course, too young to date, but still he wanted to go on to college at 15.
He found he was not too young to work.
"My dad told us how his brother had raised tomatoes back in the 30s when he went to Monmouth College, and it had paid his way, so I thought it would be a good idea.
"So, Dad let us plant 4 acres of tomatoes on the farm to pay for my tuition."
With the help of his siblings, Chuck raised tomatoes three of the four years he attended Monmouth College and sold them to the Lomax Canning Factory.
"A guy from Lomax had equipment and could come out and help us plant, spray and fertilize, and then when they got ripe the third week of July, we would start picking......that is a lot of tomatoes! We would sell them by the ton."
"You were bent over," Chuck explained. "and they continued into September. I started college the first week of September and for six weeks there was still picking left.
"We had to hire migrant workers to help with the picking until the first of October, and I made just enough money to cover the tuition at Monmouth."
"We did learn something after those three years. Its h ot in Henderson County in July and August...... and I didn't want to be doing that for the rest of my life."
There were no other kids doing this, Chuck said. There were some patches around Lomax, some kids from the Dallas City area doing it, but around Media, "We were the only ones doing it. Someone north of us maybe. It was a hard way to be making a living. We knew we didn't want to make a living at this."
Bob was a real trooper. He would get out there and help me pick and there wasn't much in it for him. Nancy would help some, too. We would pick all day and get a small truck load and stop and haul it to Lomax. "
When Chuck graduated from Monmouth College, that was the end of it, he said. Bob didn't want to farm. He drove a truck for the township for awhile.
Chuck didn't mind being the youngest in school. "There were some pluses and some minuses he said. They treated me okay. When he started college he wasn't 16 until November, and he didn't even have a drivers license.
Chuck said he graduated from Media schools in Ô57 and had Carl Shelton as his principal and math teacher.
"He was a good math teacher, and Stanley Walker was Ag teacher which I took one year, and Margaret Duncan was class adviser and history teacher. As the years went by, I realized what good teachers and people they were."
Chuck started college majoring in Physics and Math at MC.
"I didn't start out in medicine. I went on to the University of Missouri three years and earned his Masters in 1-1/2 years, spending the rest working on his PhD in Physics.
"I decided to make a career switch:I could see where Physics was leading meÐÐ teaching or research in PhysicsÐÐÐÐÐ and that life didn't appeal to me. I decided I would rather have a career in practicing medicine in a community."
He enrolled at the University of Illinois/Champaign taking some biology and chemistry courses which qualified him for medical school.
It took a year for his application to get processed into the University of Illinois Medical School/Chicago which he attended from 1965-69.
"I did my internship at Wayne County Hospital in Detroit, Michigan and then 2 years of residency at the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago with an Internal Medicine specialty.
He passed Board Certification by taking the board of internal medicine test and then looked for a job in lots of places.
His first practice was at Albert Lea, Minnesota in a clinic for 5 years. Then he moved to East Moline and started his own practice in 1977: "Charles Pogue, MDSC," now in its 25th year.
Chuck says for enjoyment he golfs Ð "I like to get away from doctors and see some other people in the world. I like playing the piano for my own entertainment, and I and brother Bob are also White Sox fans - Bear fans and U of I fans.
Did Chuck influence brother Bob into medicine?
"Actually - Bob was in pre-med school a year before I started. I was in Missouri in physics when he started at Monmouth.
When I was starting Med School, I went from being the youngest to being the oldest person in the class."
Chuck is working full-time and enjoying it. "I may retire someday," he teased, "then I would be playing a lot more golf. "
He admits, though, "I like general practice- I like helping people and contributing to the community. I like being someone people will rely on."
Chuck is on the staff at Illini Hospital at SilvisÐpart of the Genesis network He is also on the staff at Trinity Hospital in Moline.
His wife Toni helps in his private office - doing the insurance.
He has daughters Christine and Catherine and three grandchildren
Wife Toni has a son and daughter Craig and Katherine.
"I'm still working hard, and I like what I do."
But what he doesn't like: :"I resent the malpractice threat that we face everyday.
I considering it poisoning the system.