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Mark B. Herzog

August 22, 1992 - January 27, 2020

Mark Benjamin Herzog, 27, died in New Zealand doing what he loved, climbing and spreading his love of medicine and service to others around the world while on a medical rotation.


Mark was a fifth-year graduate student enrolled in the joint M.D. and Masters of Public Policy at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government; upon graduation in May, Mark was to start internal medicine residency training. Mark was deeply committed to bettering the health care system in this country and around the world. His passion was working in primary care and health policy, especially serving the most vulnerable people in rural communities. 


He led rural health research projects in the United States and globally, including on the Rosebud Sioux reservation in South Dakota, with the Navajo Nation in New Mexico, and in rural Pennsylvania, many states in the Appalachian Region, Guatemala, Kenya, and New Zealand. He lived to serve others. One person who worked with Mark said “Few can embody the spirit of rural health as Mark did, and all who knew him sensed that his career would be remarkable, he was a generational leader in rural primary care.”


At Harvard, Mark was a Jerome H. Grossman Graduate Fellow and a National Health Service Corps Scholar. He co-led the Student Leadership Committee (SLC) at the Harvard Medical School Center for Primary Care where he inspired both fellow students and faculty with his commitment to community health, advocacy, and education. Mark graduated magna cum laude from Duke University in 2015 with a B.A. in Public Policy Studies with a concentration in Health Disparities and Minors in Biology and Chemistry; he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa Honor Fraternity. At Duke, Mark combined his love of medicine and public policy. He served as Head Teaching Assistant in Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy and as a Research Assistant in the Bagnat Lab at Duke University Medical Center, where he studied Cystic Fibrosis genetics and searched for a cure. When he wasn’t studying, Mark excelled as a member of the Duke Triathlon team. Mark was also a graduate of Episcopal High School in Alexandria, VA, where he was an exceptional student-athlete, and a graduate of Sullins Academy in Bristol, VA, where he won numerous awards for his academic achievement and citizenship and community service. 


It would be an understatement to say that Mark loved the outdoors. He was happiest when he was in the beauty of the natural world. He was an avid climber and loved to camp. He also loved to run -- both trail and road -- and to bike, ski, and fish. Essentially, if it was outdoors and he could be with those he loved, he would be there with his trademark infectious smile. His love for the outdoors started in the Appalachian Mountains and continued as an Eagle Scout. Wherever Mark lived, he had a way of forming deep bonds with others and sharing in adventures in the outdoors. 


Mark is survived by his beloved mother, Mary Margaret; his father, John (Vearnail); his brothers John (Graceann), Matthew, David, and Daniel; his sisters Allie, Bailey, and Emma; two nephews who both adored and were amazed by their Uncle Mark; his girlfriend Elizabeth Strong, who he loved deeply; and his special Great Aunt, Sue Rodriguez; his extended family; and a large group of friends and mentors who loved him like a brother and a son. The patients Mark cared for as a medical student loved him for his curiosity, empathy and dedication, and he was sure to have a profound impact on countless communities as a physician and advocate. He will be missed deeply but his spirit and memory will continue to inspire others forever. 


In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in memory of Mark to the scholarship endowment at Episcopal High School, the place that truly inspired him to live life deeply and fully, or to the Mark Herzog Memorial Fund in Rural Health Equity at Harvard Medical School, which will support students, like Mark, who are passionate about improving healthcare in rural communities through research and travel grants. 

 

Mark would also want you to live and love boldly, smile, laugh, serve others, go outside and find the ‘WOW’ in life. 
 

Mark made friends and inspired people everywhere he went (literally around the world!) Our hope is that this can be a space where friends and family connect to one another and remember the incredible person Mark was to each one of us. 

Please tell your stories about Mark and share your photos by clicking on the "Stories" and "Photos" headers at the top of this page or by clicking the link below.

 

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