Being both in the military for fourteen years and practicing medicine is “an honor to be trusted to do both,” described Wake Forest PA graduate, Major Makeda Tiye Young, PA-C.
Born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, the PA journey was anything but linear for Major Young. “I was actually going to the Army’s PA school, applying in 2014, but I got deployed in 2013,” she explained to the NCAPA, who sat down with her for her Member Highlight interview.
“Unfortunately, I was not going to be back in time to apply for that current cycle. I knew they needed me to stay back, so I had put PA school apps on the backburner. Ten years later, I’ve finished! Funny enough, during my first cycle, I had put my Personal Statement essay in the wrong box. Total mistake on my part – pro tip: make sure you look over your CASPA!”
First Boots on the Ground
Major Young served as the Command & Control and Operations Officer for Western Branch – Hurricane Helene. She was the first National Guardsman to arrive on September 25, 2024, responsible for staging and managing over 1500 Army and Air National Guardsmen from three different states.
“They activated me on my birthday,” she recalled, “and they asked how fast I could get to Conover, because they were anticipating it to be a bad storm. I was designated to be Command and Control. This meant that my job was deciding how many boots were on the ground, how many vehicles, where they were going to get sustainment, what mission and operation they were tasked with – that was my team.”
On the challenges her and her team faced during the relief and recovery efforts, Major Young shared, “What many people don’t know is that nine counties on that northern border were all out of power and cell towers – you cannot even place a 911 call without a cell tower, without having to rely on bouncing off of some satellites. If you have no power and you have no cell towers for service, you can’t get a call out.”
“This means, how do we find where these people are?” she explained of the dire situation. “There are people in the mountains that were connected to us with only one way up, and that was one gravel road. These people were stranded because the river’s flooding had cut them off, and to top it off, there would be no secure place to land our aircraft.”
With a staff that expanded from six personnel to 40, Western Branch Force Packages completed over 1700 missions, delivering 853,849 lbs. of commodities, executing 309 rescues, clearing 575 routes and distributing nearly 4 million bottles of water across 22 counties.
Hurricane Helene had presented enormous challenges to Western NC but had also left Major Young with some of her most rewarding and impactful experiences. “There was not a single person that was not willing to give their shirt off their backs, the food out of their pantries, or the fuel from their car.”
“To see and witness people who literally lost everything, still smile – that sticks out to me. It was astounding to watch people come together – politics, beliefs, opinions aside. It brings me to tears.”
Major Young briefed the Former President Joe Biden on the continued operations, and she was awarded the highest achievement possible by Brigadier General Morrison, an Impact North Carolina Army Commendation Medal for her efforts during Hurricane Helene. She was the last National Guardsmen to leave on November 23, 2024 in which her team was presented a flag that was flown over the Regional Command Center in Conover, North Carolina.
Being Part of the National Guard
“As a Guardsman, we work so hard,” Major Young said. “We work sometimes two or three weekends a month, on top of our civilian jobs. When things like natural disasters or things within your state need to get done, you call us. We’re the people that are your nurses, bankers, trash collectors. National Guardsmen take off their day job attire, and on the weekends, they put on a uniform to ensure that no matter what happens in your state, you are provided for.”
Major Young also explained that National Guardsmen train once a month to ensure that no matter what happens, they act with the swiftest efficiency and the right protocol. “These trainings can range from weapons training, learning how to fix vehicles, medic training and triage, training on how to load people on helicopters, how to load up supply trucks efficiently. These trainings are always happening.”
Paving the Way & Paying It Forward
Major Young knows that her journey is just beginning. She recently began her new role as an Acute Care Surgery/Gynecologic Oncology PA at Atrium Health, upon graduating PA school in 2024.
“In the next five years, I want to go to Capitol Hill and advocate. I want to do community-based work to reach students, get the profession in front of high schoolers, and start mentoring. I definitely see myself somewhere in policy, and eventually in academics.”
And if she were not a PA – what would she be doing instead? “I would be teaching elementary school kids. I love watching their faces when they discover new things. I have a five-year old niece who, when she understands how she’s doing something, her little world expands. To be able to watch and nurture that development phase is something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Written by Pauline Bulala
NC Academy of PAs Communications Coordinator
