Duke Physician Assistant Program News & Blogs

Veterans are central to the history of the PA profession. Their service and dedication have helped to grow the foundation of the field into what it is today. For a small PA history lesson, it all started with Dr. Eugene A. Stead, Jr., MD, who saw the need for additional medical assistance following World War II and looked to expand access to care in rural and underserved communities. The first class consisted of 3 Navy Corpsmen, whose military medical training and experience played a major role in its establishment.

This month, Duke alumni, faculty, and students played a leading role at the annual PAEA Education Forum, held in San Diego, California. Contributing all across the board, they led presentations and participated in panels and workshops that showcased their passion for the profession. Attendees had the opportunity to connect with others, hear from leading PA voices, and gain knowledge that builds toward professional growth.

E. Harvey Estes, Jr., MD, a pioneering physician, educator, and leader whose contributions to Duke have left an enduring legacy, passed away on October 16, 2025, after having celebrated his 100th birthday this past May.  

I got my acceptance two days before Thanksgiving and immediately started crying—it felt like validation that I could do what I set my mind to, despite the self-doubt and catastrophic Reddit threads. I spent the next year working and spending time with friends and family, and in August, I moved to Durham.

Effective immediately, April Stouder, EdD, MHS, PA-C, has been named and appointed as the program director and division chief of the Duke Physician Assistant Program. Stouder previously served as the associate program director and transitioned into the interim director role with the retirement of Jacqueline S. Barnett, DHSc, MSHS, PA-C.

In 1965, Eugene Stead, MD, then chair of the Duke University Department of Medicine, launched what he called “the biggest innovation in medicine in my lifetime”: the physician assistant (PA) profession. With the founding of the Duke University PA Program, he sparked a movement that would change health care delivery across the country.

Photography by HuthPhoto. The Durham community came together to celebrate “Pride: Durham, NC,” a three-day festival hosted by the LGBTQ Center of Durham. The event took place September 26-28 on Duke’s East Campus and downtown Durham, bringing together several groups from Duke, local residents, and others for a celebration of identity and community.

Breaking Barriers and Finding Strength During Hardship Life’s challenges don’t wait for you to be ready to take them on; they may happen at times you least expect. This became clear during my senior year of high school, when I became emancipated from my parents and found myself virtually homeless. After becoming estranged from them, my dreams of attending college seemed impossible, especially when they refused to sign my financial aid papers. I knew I wanted to practice medicine and become a physician assistant (PA), a path that required a college degree.

Since the infamous year 2020, there has been a major shift in how things are done. Although some time has passed since that first move to remote life, virtual platforms still play a big role in how our world operates today. Interviews are no exception. 

On Friday, August 8, Dr. Jacqueline S. Barnett, DHSc, MSHS, PA-C officially closed an extraordinary chapter in her book and retired from the Duke Physician Assistant Program. Barnett has been at Duke for 10 years, serving in various leadership roles along the way. She was hired as the Associate Program Director in 2015 and following a national search, she was appointed Program Director in 2018.  In 2021, she was promoted to full professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, and in 2022 she was named Division Chief. Dr.