Catching Up With Mack Mazeski, '20

Why healthcare? What led you to choose this path?

I come from a medically oriented family—my father started a successful private dental practice, and my grandfather and great-grandmother were optometrists. My dad sold his entire practice to a PE group, which allowed me to see the pros and cons of such a transaction and subsequent relationship from the doctor’s perspective. It gave me further confidence in the partnership-model DxTx was focused on, opposed to the traditional 100% buy-out structure that is prevalent in the space.

What excites you about working in healthcare?

Chronic pain is the third highest category of healthcare spend in the US, and the pain space has been in the public eye due to the risks presented by opioids. I went to Booth focused on transitioning into Private Equity and am excited I found a path that let me succeed in my goal while maintaining a constructive mission of helping improve healthcare for those in need.

What role has Career Services played in your career goals? How has Booth enabled you to excel in your field?

Booth has a world-renowned reputation and incredible alumni network—both of which helped with recruiting, fundraising, and mentoring; however, Booth supports this with a uniquely rigorous and broad curriculum. Classes like Cases in Financial Management, Entrepreneurial Finance and Private Equity, and Taxes and Business Strategy were helpful for our M&A activities. But because Booth encouraged a wide-ranging curriculum, I also took operations-focused courses such as Cost Analysis and Internal Controls, Strategies and Processes of Negotiation, Managing in Organizations, and Managing Service Operations that were critical to the development of DxTx’s management services. Now, more than ever, I appreciate how Booth stressed the importance of a well-rounded education—encouraging students to push their limits and develop skills outside of their comfort zone to support the unknown career ahead.