10/24/2016

Zachary Hector-Word, M.D.

Zachary Hector-Word was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  He attended the University of Colorado for his undergraduate studies and graduated with a B.A. in English Literature.  While taking a year off from college to live and work in Crested Butte, Colorado, an interest in medicine was sparked after several colleagues suffered orthopedic injuries while skiing.

Dr. Word attended medical school at Tulane University and took an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.  He became a hospitalist at U of M after his residency, working in the Hematology/Oncology Division as part of an inpatient malignant hematology service.  The experience resulted in an increasing interest in the field, and he left Michigan to pursue fellowship training in 2010.  During his fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, he focused his research on lymphoma, and received an ASCO Young Investigator Award in 2012.

While living in Ann Arbor, he was introduced to, his now wife, Erin.  The two were married in Traverse City shortly before moving to New York, and did not suspect at the time that Northern Michigan would later become their home.  Zach and his family moved to Traverse City in 2013, after he accepted a position at Munson Oncology.  His daughter, Katherine, was born 2 months after the move.  When not working, the Words enjoy exploring the beautiful natural areas that make Northern Michigan so beautiful.