Surfing for Knowledge

Inspiration can come from unlikely places. Mark Henschke, a Heinz College Master of Medical Management (MMM) graduate, found himself thrown into the world of healthcare following a 1971 Los Angeles earthquake.

Then just a teen, hooked on surfing and working odd jobs, Henschke's mother asked him to volunteer at a hard-hit hospital. He was put to work in the pharmacy — and offered a permanent job within days. With the chief pharmacist's encouragement, he went on to complete his own pharmacy degree, but while accompanying a group of medical students on rounds, found another direction.

He enrolled in osteopathic medical school. It's a distinction important to Henschke, in that osteopaths focus on holistic care — or treatment of the whole patient — rather than the specific illness.

Starting as early as residency, Henschke was repeatedly pressed into administrative service, first to start a hospital employee system and then to become the state medical director for a managed care program.

"I realized that I needed formal training to maintain the organization and understand the unique language that goes along with business," he said, "much like medicine has its own unique language, which one needs a knowledge of in order to function."

Henschke entered the Heinz College's MMM program, which allowed him to gain a better understanding of the business side of medicine.

"In short, I became an 'economic fiduciary,' with one foot in business and one foot in clinical medicine," he explained.

At this point in his career, Henschke is fortunate to be able to make use of his multiple skills.

He runs a 'one-stop-shop' primary care practice in New Hampshire, providing his patients with everything from check-ups to biopsies. He also teaches at the area medical school, lectures for the pharmaceutical industry, and regularly rotates physician assistant students through his office.

Henschke was recently named as one of 'America's Top Physicians' by the Consumers' Research Council of America.

"I believe my Heinz education helped me to recognize my strengths and to figure out which path I needed to take in order to make the best use of my career accomplishments," he noted.

And through all these years, one thing hasn't changed — the boy from the beaches of California is still hooked on surfing.