For Dr. Jeff Fruendt, Teaching at Bryant & Stratton College is Never Work

Dr. Jeff Fruendt enjoyed being a student. That love of academia stuck with him throughout his 23-year career as a chiropractor.

After semi-retiring from the medical world Fruendt took the leap and changed careers, spurred on partly by conversations with his wife, a middle school teacher and her colleagues and friends.

“The classroom really sounded like an enjoyable environment and an opportunity to make a difference,” Fruendt said. “The idea of turning it around and sharing my clinical knowledge sounded like it would be a lot of fun.”

And fun it is. Serving in the classroom is not work, he said.

“I go to work but it’s not work. I love what I do,” Fruendt said. “It’s fun to interface with students in the small class sizes.”

Fruendt teaches anatomy and physiology among other classes that many students in the nursing and physical therapy assistant programs may take.

The typical class size at the Wisconsin campus numbers just 15 – 20 students, a huge difference from the auditoriums filled with 200 plus students that Fruendt said he remembered from his college days.

“It’s a real nice environment to be in for me and hopefully for the students as well,” he said.

He added that because the classes are a mix of young students coming straight from high school graduation and older students returning to the classroom mid-career the two groups are able to learn from each other.

“They have a lot of life skills to offer traditional students,” he said. “There is a symbiotic relationship going on that I think is unique.”