Discover the Spark Behind Mark Schwartz

Laying the Foundation

Mark Schwartz, MD, FOMA, became interested in obesity medicine after one of his colleagues and mentors introduced him to the Obesity Medicine Association. He realized that obesity medicine was his calling and wanted to dedicate 100% of his practice to treating this chronic disease. In 2021, Mark and his family moved to North Carolina so he could start a job as an obesity medicine specialist and help create a new obesity medicine fellowship program at Atrium Health. Their first obesity medicine fellow started in 2023.

In 2016, Mark attended his first Obesity Medicine Association conference in Chicago. He learned something new and clinically pertinent from every lecture that he attended. He left that conference feeling rewarded with new knowledge that he could utilize in his everyday practice. In addition to the knowledge gained from this conference, Mark developed many new connections with experts in the field. Every OMA member he interacted with was helpful and supportive of his new interest in obesity medicine. He decided to become a member of the OMA during this conference.

Engaging in Membership

Dr. Schwartz enjoyed many benefits since becoming a member of the OMA. Downloading the Obesity Algorithm® every year helped expand his knowledge of obesity medicine; he used this resource to teach residents and obesity medicine fellows about the disease of obesity. He found it to be an extremely important tool in preparation for the obesity medicine boards. As an active participant in the mentorship program, his goal is to mentor as many clinicians as possible so they can appreciate this field as much as he does. Mark likes to attend every OMA conference for education, member events, and to network with as many people as possible - and leverages the members-only conference pricing each time!

Committee Involvement

Mark has been a member of the CME committee since 2017. He decided to join this committee because of his passion for medical education. Unfortunately, the disease of obesity is often not adequately covered during medical school and residency. As a result, it is extremely important for the educational material at the OMA events to be of the highest quality. For Mark personally, the lecture content at the 2016 OMA conference was a major reason for him to pursue a career in this field. By being part of the CME committee, he can give back to the OMA and help ensure that future obesity medicine specialists have access to high-quality educational content.

Mark's advice to future obesity medicine specialists is to treat obesity as the root cause of their patients’ chronic medical conditions. When they treat the disease of obesity, their other disease processes will begin to improve.

“Do not be afraid to speak with your patients about the disease of obesity and educate them about the importance of treating it. You will be surprised at how many patients are ready to have this conversation and listen. While the disease of obesity is complex and may take more time during an encounter, the impacts on your patients’ life and satisfaction of watching their overall health improve are worth the investment.”

When Mark is not practicing obesity medicine, he enjoys spending time with his wife and son. They love spending time outdoors and enjoying the Carolina weather. Mark's other hobbies are traveling, photography, and watching New York Rangers hockey games. He was extremely happy when the OMA decided to have their spring 2023 conference in New York City. Mark learned about obesity during the day and watched Rangers hockey locally at night.