Giving Back Instead of Giving Up: Bruce Vogel ’62, D.O.
Dr. Bruce Vogel ’62 understands the importance of never giving up and always giving back to others. From his humble beginnings as the oldest of five children born to a nurse and a salesman, he has found many reasons to give thanks to God along the way. One of those ways is by giving back to students at Olivet Nazarene University.
Since spring 2023, through a generous donation from Dr. Vogel, The Dr. Bruce Vogel MCAT course at Olivet has prepared pre-medical and pre-dental students for their standardized entrance exams, also known as the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and the Dental Admission Test (DAT). Commercial preparatory classes for these exams usually cost a student $2,500 or more. Olivet now offers this class each year to students for no additional cost. Even books and practice exams are paid for.
“Olivet is thankful for this historic giving milestone,” says Walter “Woody” Webb, director of planned and estate giving. “Dr. Vogel is dedicated to making sure Olivet students succeed and is empowering them through this endowment gift. He has chosen to bless many students in this way for years to come. Olivet’s faculty, staff and students join our Development team in thanking him for his generosity.”
In addition to this gift, Dr. Vogel inspires many with his career path and journey of faith. Here are a few highlights from his very interesting life.
A Challenging Start to Life
He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He almost died from a severe cut to a main artery in his left arm when he was 18 months old.
His family moved from Minneapolis to Ohio when he was 6 years old. He recalls watching families come and go from a Nazarene church across the road from their family home. His father gave him permission to attend Sunday school there. The pastor visited his family to tell them more about Jesus, and his father and mother soon accepted Christ. The Vogel family began attending church together.
His family moved to Michigan when he was 8 years old. By age 11, he was harvesting fruits and vegetables at a truck farm. At age 16, he got his driver’s license and began driving a fuel oil truck and installing furnaces for his father’s business. He worked four to six hours each day, in addition to attending high school.
God had so much more prepared for him.
And Then the Impossible Happened
As a teenager, while at church one day, he saw a flyer about Olivet Nazarene College in Bourbonnais, Illinois. He knew right away that he wanted to apply, but his father didn’t want him to go because he was so much help in the family business.
God did make it possible for him to attend Olivet, and he entered as a freshman in 1958.
“When I left Michigan for Olivet, all I had was $50,” he recalls. “I used $25 to buy a bicycle so I would have transportation.”
He got a job as a custodian for a company in Kankakee. He rode his bicycle to and from work, regardless of the weather. When his grades began to suffer because of his many hours at work, his friend Dale Reedy ’62 and Olivet faculty member Dr. David Jones took a special interest in him and his desire to become a physician. Dr. Jones helped him improve his grades and encouraged his dream. Dale made sure he got out of bed on time every morning and got the help he needed with his studies.
During his senior year at Olivet, he applied to Kansas City Orthopedic College (now the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Kansas City University). To his surprise, he was invited to come to Kansas City for an interview. At the time, he had only enough money for a round-trip flight and fare for a taxi. He spent the night in Kansas City’s Union Station, cleaned up and changed clothes in the bathroom, and went to the interview.
He did receive a letter of acceptance from the medical college. When he graduated from Olivet in 1962, the future looked bright indeed.
And Then Problems Happened
Before he could get to Kansas City for medical school, however, his father became ill. His four siblings were still living in the family home with his parents. So he sent a letter to the medical school, saying that he would be unable to attend because of financial concerns and his father’s illness.
The school responded, saying that they would hold a place for him.
He took a job in the chemistry department at General Motors in Toledo, Ohio. He was able to purchase a house where he and his family could live. Once again, he notified the medical school that he would be unable to attend. And once again, the school assured him that they were holding a place for him.
He continued supporting his family until his father was able to work again. By that time, he was making a good salary with General Motors and was expecting a promotion. For the third time, he told the medical school that he would be unable to attend. And for the third time, the school told him he still had a place there.
When he received this news, he prayed and asked God what God’s purpose was for his life. When God reminded him that the medical school was still holding a place for him after three years, he knew what path God wanted him to take.
And Then Success Happened
He went to medical school, graduated and had a wonderful 50-year career in family practice, obstetrics and geriatrics. He married Beverly Soetaert while he was in medical school, and they are the parents of two daughters.
Dr. Vogel’s career included:
- Setting up his own practice right after medical school
- Entering into what became a 12-year practice with another physician
- Opening a clinic in north Toledo for mixed ethnic groups and practicing there for 21 years
- Working at a medical clinic in a remote area of Nevada for 28 years and buying a ranch there
- Serving as the first full-time chief medical officer at Yerington Paiute Tribal Health Clinic on a Native American reservation in Nevada for 19 years
- Delivering hundreds of babies
Throughout his career, Dr. Vogel was committed to caring for those who were underserved, disadvantaged, misunderstood or discriminated against. From his vantage point at the end of his career, he understood the importance of encouraging future generations of health care providers.
Blessing Others From His Blessings
The Dr. Bruce Vogel MCAT course at Olivet — taught by Dr. Ryan Himes, professor of biological sciences — is a trailblazing course designed to prepare premedical and predental students for their standardized entrance exams. There is no additional charge to students for this course, including the costs for books and practice exams.
For a point of reference regarding the difficulty of these tests, the MCAT covers seven subjects and takes more than seven hours to complete. The DAT has four sections and takes more than five hours to complete.
In the Olivet course, Dr. Himes reviews all the test content with the students. They meet each Wednesday night of the semester to review, study, ask questions and take practice exams.
Results have been fantastic, as the students encourage one another, increase accountability for studying and find motivation to keep going. Students continue to report improvement in their practice test scores because of this class. One student who completed the class was later accepted to five different medical schools.
“God and the Holy Spirit will direct you in life as well as in your profession,” Dr. Vogel says. “Jesus will always be the greatest healer. For a physician who is called and faithful, God will give you the strength to go through many hardships. You will have many opportunities to witness and offer prayers for your patients. God will provide you with faith and peace.”
To learn more about supporting Olivet through an endowment, email Walter “Woody” Webb at WWebb@Olivet.edu or call 815-939-5228.
From Olivet The Magazine, Abundant Life – Spring 2026. Read the full issue here.
