College of Health Sciences Award Recipients

Young Alumnus of the Year Award

Eric H. Buchl, H Sci ’00, ’01
Frisco, Texas

Eric was in the first class of Marquette's accelerated program in physician assistant studies. Today, he continues to blaze trails as the first physician assistant to chair a section of the North American Spine Society and as a leader and advocate for advanced practitioners within Dallas' Medical City Healthcare system.

In addition to being chief physician assistant for orthopedic, brain and spine services at the company's flagship, Medical City Hospital, Eric serves in a relatively new role at the hospital as supervisor for advanced practitioners, which includes 20 professionals across the hospital's medical service lines.

"My goal is to advance how physician assistants and nurse practitioners are utilized and to make sure that we have a voice to the administration," Eric says, "so that we're part of the team, so we have a seat at the table." He says data shows better hospital scores, shorter hospital stays, possibly lower care costs and equivalent to superior outcomes for service lines that use physician assistants and nurse practitioners. At the Medical City system level, he helped organize and is chairing a brand-new advanced practitioner council.

In his longtime involvement with the North American Spine Society, a global multidisciplinary medical society, and his role as its Interdisciplinary Spine section chair, Eric works to expand understanding among providers about evidence-based spine care.

Eric came to Marquette from suburban St. Paul, Minn., following in the footsteps of his sister, Victoria Buchl Eggleston, Comm '94. He had observed Marquette's positive influence on her development.

"The Marquette mission is how I wanted to live my life and how I wanted to treat others," Eric says. "This award fills my heart with joy, with hope. I strive to help those I can and live a good life. I will be humbled always, as great men and women around me do far more than I."

Fun fact: Eric is a triathlete having completed multiple races including the Ironman Triathlon and Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon.