Daniel Benishek, M.D. ’78, was a general surgeon in his native Iron Mountain, Mich., for almost 30 years before successfully running for Michigan’s 1st congressional district in 2010. As of 2015, he’s serving his third term in the U.S. Congress.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Michigan in 1974, and completed a Family Practice internship at St Joseph’s Hospital in Flint.

He has served as a general surgeon in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in private practice since 1983. In addition, he has worked part time at the Oscar G. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Iron Mountain for two decades.

As a U.S. representative, Dr. Benishek served on the Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and Natural Resources committees.