Northern Roots: Boynton Focuses on Serving Rural Community

April 29, 2025

Dennis Boynton’s mother is his biggest cheerleader and inspiration for becoming a doctor. “My mom struggled with health issues for much of her life. I helped take care of her when I was a teenager, as she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure at that time. Getting to care for her was such a privilege, and it pushed me to a career in medicine,” said Boynton.

After battling cancer, Boynton’s mother passed away in December, just a couple of months before he matched at Henry Ford Health.

“One of the last things I told her before she passed away was that she was going to be with me every step of the way from here on out with each and every patient that I will be taking care of.”

Growing up in Harbor Springs, Boynton began his college journey at North Central Michigan College in Petoskey. After getting his undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan, he served part of his third and fourth years of medical school in Alpena. He said patients in Alpena were excited to see someone from Northern Michigan return and work in the community and he was honored to serve.

“What I find so remarkable about my time at the College of Human Medicine is that I learned not only how to be a doctor, but also an advocate for vulnerable populations on a larger scale,” Boynton said. “I think our curriculum really instills within us the social impact that medicine and healthcare can have on our communities that we serve.”

Before starting med school, Boynton spent a gap year working with the Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network (OPEN) helping to address the opioid epidemic. During that time, he worked with researchers at Mayo Clinic and helped with a study looking into stigma surrounding buprenorphine use in a rural emergency department in Northern Michigan.

“I think that my experiences with OPEN really set me up for success in my clinical experiences, where I have been able to help provide empathetic and evidence-based care for patients living with a substance use disorder,” he said. 

Boynton will be pursuing a career in internal medicine and hopes to specialize in hematology/oncology after residency; inspiration that came from his mother who wanted to see him become a doctor so badly.

For a son and student who has given so much to his mother and community, Boynton has no thoughts of pulling back on his benevolence as he heads into residency. He said Henry Ford is a perfect fit because it gives him an opportunity to become a better educator and work with College of Human Medicine students.

“It’s such a privilege getting to be in a position to give back to students and make their experience in internal medicine exciting and fruitful, just as it was for me as a third-year student,” Boynton said.

“I am also excited to get back into research; Henry Ford has an amazing and growing cancer center. I have a personal stake in this now…. It’s going to be such a privilege contributing knowledge to this field, and, hopefully, make a difference in someone’s life down the line.”

Boynton said the energy from the faculty, fellow students at the Traverse City campus, clinical experiences and friendships he made at MSU have reinforced that inspiration originally sparked by his mother to serve.

“I think this is a testament to the impact College of Human Medicine has on all of us; we’re inspired to use what we learn to make changes on a larger scale.”