Eric M. Bendorf, MD

Eric Bendorf, MD, was exposed to medicine from a young age. He listened to his father tell stories about the patients he cared for as a physician, watched his mother receive stitches when he was 3 or 4 and started flipping through anatomy books at 5 or 6.

His interest only increased after dissecting a pig lung in elementary school.

“I remember talking to my fifth-grade science teacher and said, ‘This is what I want to do. I want to do something that has to do with the body and the organs.’”

Dr. Bendorf, a general surgeon for Methodist Physicians Clinic in Council Bluffs, cares for a variety of patients, including those with breast surgical oncology needs.

One of the most memorable moments of his career was when he completed his first robotic surgery at Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital.

“I never anticipated that 20 years into my practice something would come along that made me really excited about my job again,” he said. “I still enjoyed what I did, but it had been a long time since I would look at my schedule for the next day and be excited about an inguinal hernia. But working on the robot did that.”

He believes the partnership that’s built between patients and providers is an integral part of The Meaning of Care.

“If you know that the person that’s taking care of you really cares about you, that goes a long ways.”

Outside of work, Dr. Bendorf enjoys practicing his faith, spending time with family, exercising and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.