Early interest in science led to career for Oaklawn physician Timothy Kwiecien 

MARSHALL – While Timothy Kwiecien was a middle-school student in the metropolitan Detroit area, it dawned on him that there was a branch of science that particularly fascinated him.

“Everything about biology, ecology, earth sciences, chemistry,” he said. “It was a conscious interest while I was in sixth or seventh grade.” By the time Kwiecien was 14, he was a member of his school’s youth leadership council focusing on medicine.

That focus grew intensely enough over the years to propel him into a medical career. Beginning this month, Kwiecien is tackling a full-time role as a physician with the Oaklawn Medical Group.

“My goal was to find a career in which to use that interest, to help people and make a difference,” he said. 

Kwiecien, who now sees patients at his office in Suite 2C of the Wright Medical Building at 215 Mansion St., actually is no stranger to Oaklawn. He served in a contract capacity for Oaklawn’s pain-management service line from mid-July 2020 until now.

Kwiecien grew up near the community of Canton and graduated from Plymouth High School. 

While an economics student at Wayne State University, Kwiecien had an experience that he describes as vital to further stimulating his interest in medicine.

“I witnessed a lot of real medicine at Detroit Receiving Hospital, including extensive trauma as well as other medical conditions,” he said. “These unfortunately presented themselves in an acute-care setting due to lack of access to routine medical care and the troubling socioeconomic disparities that exist within the community.”

Kwiecien said he looked on with curiosity and interest as medical staff ran to help and assist those in desperate need of medical attention.

“Seeing all that happen in real time – chaotic yet with a great deal of teamwork and people working together – that shaped my view of medicine and what it means to be a physician and the true privilege it is to care for patients.” 

After receiving a bachelor’s degree in economics in 2011 from Wayne State University, Kwiecien went on to receive his degree as a doctor of medicine in 2015 from the Wayne State University School of Medicine. During his medical residency, Kwiecien’s participated in a monthlong program at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China, during which he worked to develop his skills in anesthesiology in 2018. 

Kwiecien is certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology, having received a degree in that field in 2019 from the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles. Kwiecien also received a fellowship in multidisciplinary pain medicine from the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in 2020. 

Kwiecien is the first member of his family to go on to college and become a physician, although a younger brother followed in his footsteps and now works as a nurse for a Livonia hospital. Their mother and father continue to live in Canton. 

Kwiecien particularly enjoys travel and has spent time in many of the capitals of Europe, including London, Paris and Amsterdam. His other travels include Taiwan, Mexico and the Caribbean. He also enjoys cycling and “anything Detroit sports.”

Clearly, Kwiecien said, his home state continued to have a special draw for him. 

“I was looking to get back to Michigan to be closer to my family,” he said. “I spent five years away, including four years in California, and I thought I’d never come back – but you gain perspective along the way.” 

His new position at Oaklawn puts him a short drive from his family in Canton, and offers a pleasant way to launch his own medical practice. 

“The best thing about Oaklawn is the people and the staff,” he said. “They’re great to work with. Everybody’s friendly. You can tell people like working for Oaklawn. It’s a culture, and I could see that quite evidently within the first week or two of being there. It’s a great place to be, and I look forward to getting my professional career going there.”

And Marshall itself?

“It’s a beautiful town with even better people,” he said. “I’m really excited to start my practice, and make a difference within the community.”