Houma Family Practice

Hailing from Bourg, Louisiana, Dr. Mark Walker’s family roots run deep in the bayou community. A graduate of South Terrebonne High School, Dr. Walker initially studied petroleum engineering at Nicholls State University before making a life-changing decision to continue a family tradition and study pre-medicine. After graduating from Nicholls, he was accepted into Tulane Medical School. While studying at Tulane, he worked with his uncle, Dr. Craig Walker, a cardiologist in Houma, with full intentions of pursuing a career in the field of cardiology. During his final year of medical school, he felt a strong calling to follow in the footsteps of his father, Dr. Leslie Walker, and become a family medicine physician.

“I chose to become a family physician because I wanted the ability to treat anyone of any age encompassing a broad spectrum of medical conditions,” explains Dr. Walker. “Growing up, I watched my dad treat countless patients with conditions ranging from a common cold to a terminal illness, while forming lifetime relationships along the way,” he conveys with a sense of pride. “I knew I also wanted to be able to do the same, so I followed my heart and have never regretted my choice.”

After completing a residency program at Earl K. Long charity hospital, Dr. Walker returned to Houma in 1990, joining his father at Houma Family Practice Clinic. The elder doctor Walker had been in the practice of family medicine for over 25 years, taking care of generations of bayou families. The practice is located at 606 Liberty Street in downtown Houma and is also home to Dr. Kirk Dantin.

“After practicing medicine for nearly thirty years, I still enjoy going to work everyday. Family medicine allows me to care for patients from birth until the end of life. When a patient trusts you to take care of them and their families during their most vulnerable times, it is immensely humbling,” says Dr. Walker. Houma Family Practice Clinic is also an occupational medicine clinic. “When business owners feel confident in choosing your business to evaluate the well-being of their employees, it is extremely gratifying.”

Dr. Walker prides himself on his hands-on approach to running his practice. He remains steadfast in insuring the patient always comes first and the patient’s needs are always met in a timely manner, a work ethic instilled in him by his father. He feels patients can sense when a physician is genuinely concerned about them. He personally returns phone calls to his patients the same day results are received, and in turn patients make their gratitude known. The majority of his new patients are friends or family members referred by current patients who have expressed their satisfaction with the genuine compassion they received from Dr. Walker.

In his personal life, Dr. Walker and his wife Margaret have two daughters, Jordan and Kristen. One is a dental hygienist and the other a registered nurse, both living in New Orleans. In his free time, Dr. Walker loves being outdoors, especially on the family land he grew up on, preferably behind the wheel of a tractor. He enjoys hunting and fishing and is a die-hard Saints fan.

“If you asked me if I could go back and change it all or do  anything differently, I would still do this,” smiles Dr. Walker. “I have a job that allows me to help others in times when they need help the most while also forming relationships and friendships that span generations. It’s been fulfilling, gratifying, and humbling, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

606 Liberty Street, Houma  |  985.872.3000