Captivated by science ever since he was young, Dr. Mark Andrews also wanted to help others, which helped point him to a career in medicine. “I always had a real passion for science as well as helping other people and I think becoming a physician was a great way to combine those two things,” he explains.

While undergoing his medical training, Dr. Andrews chose to enter the field of hospital medicine. “It’s a very exciting, captivating field. You deal with many challenges every day, including emergencies. Things can change quickly and dynamically during a shift, so being a hospitalist really keeps you on your toes.”

One of the things Dr. Andrews enjoys the most about being a hospitalist is that he gets to help patients with a lot of different problems. “You treat patients with cardiac issues, pulmonary issues, gastrointestinal issues and other problems. That’s what makes it so interesting. I also like the fact that when I see something that I’m not that familiar with, it encourages me to learn more about it.”

Working closely with families of patients is a big part of Dr. Andrews’ job. “I always try to keep family members well informed and clear about what is going on. They need to trust that their loved ones are in good hands. It can be very challenging when someone is healthy and then all of a sudden is diagnosed with a critical illness…it’s a difficult time for families.”

For Dr. Andrews, the satisfaction he gets from helping patients makes it all worthwhile. “It’s great when you are able to make a big difference in someone’s health. That’s one of the things I look forward to the most each day.”

When he is not busy with patients at the hospital, Dr. Andrews enjoys hiking and traveling, often to national parks. “America has some really beautiful places, so my wife and I try to go to many of them as we can.”