Keith Shenberger, MD
Taking risks and trying new things have always appealed to Keith Shenberger, MD. He decided to go to medical school in his third year at Dartmouth College because it seemed philanthropic – and exhilarating.
As a medical student, that same zest for the new and intriguing persuaded him to choose rheumatology as his specialty. “I was considering psychiatry, but in my second year at Dartmouth Medical School, we had a course on bone and connective tissue. I found the musculoskeletal system very interesting and – this being the mid-70s – there wasn’t much available to treat autoimmune diseases that affect the joints. It was a great opportunity to be on the ground floor of a new specialty.”
Dr. Shenberger went to Reading, PA for his residency in internal medicine, then went back to New Hampshire for a fellowship in rheumatology. “At that time, the specialty was the youngest in internal medicine,” he said. “Only recently had it warranted its own board certification.”
In 1982, Dr. Shenberger headed back to the Keystone State, newly certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in the subspecialty of rheumatology. He has been in clinical practice in Williamsport since 1982, where he was the sole rheumatologist in the area for many years, and has worked with a number of mid-level practitioners. Having served in various leadership positions for a number of years at Susquehanna Health, he noted that the healthcare system’s “commitment to clinical excellence makes it a dynamic environment for young doctors to cultivate their skills.”
In 2008, Dr. Shenberger seized the opportunity to once again try something new and adventurous by helping to grow a brand-new medical school that promised to change the healthcare landscape in northeastern and central Pennsylvania. “I’ve been with Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine since almost the beginning,” Dr. Shenberger said. “I helped create the infrastructure for the former West Campus and recruit the clinical faculty, of which I am still a member. I’ve now seen several classes matriculate and served as regional dean until last year.”
As a medical student, that same zest for the new and intriguing persuaded him to choose rheumatology as his specialty. “I was considering psychiatry, but in my second year at Dartmouth Medical School, we had a course on bone and connective tissue. I found the musculoskeletal system very interesting and – this being the mid-70s – there wasn’t much available to treat autoimmune diseases that affect the joints. It was a great opportunity to be on the ground floor of a new specialty.”
Dr. Shenberger went to Reading, PA for his residency in internal medicine, then went back to New Hampshire for a fellowship in rheumatology. “At that time, the specialty was the youngest in internal medicine,” he said. “Only recently had it warranted its own board certification.”
In 1982, Dr. Shenberger headed back to the Keystone State, newly certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in the subspecialty of rheumatology. He has been in clinical practice in Williamsport since 1982, where he was the sole rheumatologist in the area for many years, and has worked with a number of mid-level practitioners. Having served in various leadership positions for a number of years at Susquehanna Health, he noted that the healthcare system’s “commitment to clinical excellence makes it a dynamic environment for young doctors to cultivate their skills.”
In 2008, Dr. Shenberger seized the opportunity to once again try something new and adventurous by helping to grow a brand-new medical school that promised to change the healthcare landscape in northeastern and central Pennsylvania. “I’ve been with Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine since almost the beginning,” Dr. Shenberger said. “I helped create the infrastructure for the former West Campus and recruit the clinical faculty, of which I am still a member. I’ve now seen several classes matriculate and served as regional dean until last year.”
