North Carolina PAs dedicated to patient health while leading the way for the profession.
Brian Peacock, PA-C, MMS, is the Program Director at the Wake Forest School of Medicine PA program. He was born in Boone, North Carolina, which he will always consider home. Brian attended NC State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences in 2004. He then returned to Boone to work as a phlebotomist and an autopsy assistant at Watauga Medical Center. After a few years, Brian came to realize that he wanted to be more involved in patient care so he began exploring different career options. Being unfamiliar with the PA role and profession, he reached out to the nearest PA program, Wake Forest University, to obtain more information. Brian visited the campus where he witnessed the Inquiry Based Learning process in action and knew, at that moment, that the PA profession was for him. He attended the PA program at Wake Forest School of Medicine and graduated in 2010.
Brian currently lives in Lewisville, NC. Besides his Program Director role, he practices clinically in the Department of General Surgery at Wake Forest Baptist Health, where he has worked with the same team for over 10 years and continues to “love every minute of it.” He precepted 10 students each year in General Surgery and was “always sad to see one student rotate off the service and excited when the next one started.” After 5 years of precepting, Brian realized he wanted to make a larger impact on the students and the PA profession. He shares that “watching students grow both clinically and professionally confirms for me that getting involved with education is the best decision I have made. The students continue to impress me with their ability to engage our curriculum, develop leadership skills, and positively impact our community in such a short time. They make me a better person and a better PA.”
Brian joined NCAPA as a student member at Wake Forest and has maintained his membership ever since. He feels that membership is important, as the “NCAPA informs prospective students, current students, and clinicians how to advocate for our profession in our communities and across the country. From the history of the profession to CME workshops on current medical trends, (NCAPA) provides a wealth of information and resources that improve patient-centered, team-based care for all.” He believes that the “PAs of North Carolina have demonstrated exceptional patient care longer than any other state” and hopes to see “providers more accurately reflect the communities around the state with improved diversity” with “more attention to social determinants of health and better engagement with the underserved.” Brian strongly believes that PAs are a “vital part of the solution for better outcomes for all.”
When we asked Brian what he loves most about being a PA, he shares:
I love that the profession supports us in ways that allow us to impact all those we are around. From volunteering and mobilization during a pandemic, to wilderness medicine certifications, to national and international mission work, no matter what area you work in, you can make a difference to your community, your country, and the world. We have the ability to be the change.
The Wake Forest PA program is fortunate to have Brian Peacock as their new director and we are all fortunate to have Brian helping to lead the way for the PA profession.