Mark
L. Sobczak, MD was born and raised in the near north suburbs
of Chicago, Illinois. The late Honorable Adlai Stevenson,
Jr., the senior senator from Illinois in the early 1970’s,
selected him for appointment to the United States Naval
Academy. Dr. Sobczak was an Honors graduate of the Naval
Academy with the Class of 1977. Following graduation he
completed naval aviation flight training in Florida and
Texas then served as a Navy pilot for six years prior to
entering medical school.
Dr.
Sobczak received his medical education at the Uniformed
Services University of the Health Sciences, Department of
Defense Medical School, in Bethesda, Maryland. He completed
this course of study in 1987 and was personally presented
his M.D. diploma by President Ronald Reagan. Following his
Internship at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda,
Maryland, Dr. Sobczak served as a resident physician in
Radiation Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital
in Boston, Massachusetts.
After
residency, Dr. Sobczak returned to active duty in the United
States Navy serving initially as a staff physician at the
Nationional Naval Medical Center, Bethesda. Dr. Sobczak
was a finalist for the Astronaut program (NASA Mission Specialist)
in 1991. He became board certified in Therapeutic Radiology
in 1992. In 1995, Dr. Sobczak was selected to head the Radiation
Oncology Department at the Naval Hospital Portsmouth, Virginia.
While at the Portsmouth Naval Hospital, Dr. Sobczak organized
the first comprehensive Oncology Department in the Department
of Defense medical system and then served as the Chairman
of this department for three years. In 2001 Dr. Sobczak
retired from the United States Navy after 24 years of service
to his country.
A
dedicated clinical researcher, Dr. Sobczak sits on the national
steering committees responsible for directing lung and prostate
cancer research through the Nation Cancer Institute sponsored
Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG). Dr. Sobczak is
a recognized national expert in the field of medical electronic
record keeping systems. He has lectured on this topic at
major medical meetings both across the United States and
in Europe.
As
a member of numerous international, national, and regional
professional societies Dr. Sobczak is a leader in the integration
of innovative cancer treatments. He completed an American
Cancer Society fellowship while at the Massachusetts General
Hospital and he is a rising Fellow of the American College
of Radiology. Dr. Sobczak has also served as the secretary
of his Naval Academy class for many years.
Dr.
Sobczak has been married to Elaine (Pakuris) Sobczak, the
former Director of Protocol Development for the RTOG, for
many years. They have three lovely daughters and are active
members of the local community. Throughout his medical career
Dr. Sobczak has been dedicated to providing the highest
quality of cancer treatment in a caring environment.
