Med student impresses staff with his caring way

Take a good look, Libby. Marc Schwartz is the face of medicine of the future.

Schwartz, 28, of Richmond, Va., is a medical student at the University of Washington at Seattle. He is in Libby through the second week of November completing his clinical rotation with doctors. Greg Rice, William Cuskelly and Glenne Gunther, spending time at Libby Clinic and then St. John’s Lutheran Hospital.

Schwartz, whose parents are medical doctors, already has a Ph.D. in immunology. He has completed two years of med school and now is pursuing a doctorate in medicine of his combined medical and Ph.D. degree in UW-Seattle medical-scientist program.

“A (Ph.D.) degree in immunology,” Schwartz said of his initial doctorate. Now, he’s setting sights on a bridge to bigger things, his MD. “I want to do pediatric research to find disorders — hematology and oncology.”

In his brief time in Libby, Schwartz already is making people notice.

“He is really the future in medicine,” Rice said. “It’s refreshing to see someone like him getting into research for all the right reasons.”

Rice said much of the research field is funded by corporations and pharmaceutical companies. Rice said Schwartz is is pursuing a research post not for profit but for medical advancement for patients.

“He gives us all hope,” Dr. Rice said.

An endurance sports enthusiast, Schwartz is unique. From the moment he speaks, his intelligence is apparent.

“Most likely, I’ll go into research,” Schwartz said. “I’d like to do research in Washington at the Children’s Hospital, particularly immuno-deficiencies. Seattle would be a great place to work.”

In an instant, Schwartz’ eyes light up as he starts rattling off break-through strategies he has been studying for helping young cancer patients.

“If we can develop a regimen to aid survivability, that would be an immediate success,” he said. “Cancer is a little like an infection. If we can come up with a way to help the immune system fight cancers, that is the key — finding a way to enhance the immune system.”

It’s easy to get lost in Schwartz’ excitement for medicine. In an instant he elevates the conversation beyond the layman.

“The best part, Marc is very good at relating his ideas. He sat down with Drs. Gunther, Cuskelly and me and talked about his Ph.D,” Rice said. “He’s very deliberate. He will make a great researcher because he’s very organized, mentally.”

Dr. Frederick Houts is a psychiatrist who came to know Schwartz during a clerkship at the University of Washington when Houts was with the Alaska Psychiatric Institute.

“Having already completed his Ph.D. and having been away from his medical studies for years doing bench research, I was quite impressed by Dr. Schwartz’ bedside manner, humility, equanimity and kindness,” Houts said. “He would commonly complete an extraordinarily thorough interview with a patient, that patient’s family, and that patient’s outpatient physician before writing a thoughtful report years above his level of training, only to ask how his work might improve. I’ve had great medical students before, but Marc is different. He is a true believer in translational research and in the kind of medicine that is all too rarely taught anymore. Maybe it can’t be taught. Suffice it to say that if doctoring didn’t take over a decade of study, Dr. Schwartz could be as close as anyone may be to a born healer.”