UK Physician Assistant Alumna Dedicated to Her Profession and to Service

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 8, 2014) -- Each year during the white coat ceremony, which marks the transition from the classroom to clinical studies, future physician assistants recite a professional oath that includes the line: I will hold as my primary responsibility the health, safety, welfare and dignity of all human beings.

Stefanie Brock, a 2012 physician assistant studies graduate, is committed to fulfilling that promise not only on a local level, but on a global level as well. Her education and experiences while at the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences Physician Assistant Studies program prepared her well for both her profession and for service-oriented activities.

Brock works as a physician assistant (PA) in small, rural emergency departments in Kentucky, and spends time each year devoted to medical missions in Haiti, where she assists a Haitian physician at a clinic.

“As a medical provider, I believe service is a responsibility we carry throughout the rest of our lives,” Brock said. “Education is the primary form of service we are dedicated to. It is through education that patients are informed, medical management is encouraged, and self-accountability can exist among our patients.”

Brock’s desire to provide service to underserved populations has its roots in her post-undergraduate experiences. After graduating from Transylvania University with bachelor’s degrees in biology and Spanish, Brock planned to earn a Ph.D. in Spanish language and literature and go into teaching. However, her experiences as a medical interpreter and clinical assistant working with underserved Hispanic populations in Lexington changed the course of her career and established her lifelong commitment to service.    

Brock decided to pursue a career in health care and enrolled in the UK Physician Assistant Studies program. Her outreach experience expanded exponentially during her time at UK with service as an interpreter for the physical therapy team working with Shoulder to Shoulder Global in Ecuador, as well as acting as an interpreter during the Hispanic Health Fair. In addition, Brock spent a month teaching public health and English literacy at an orphanage in the Dominican Republic. She also shadowed a medical caravan in Morelia, Mexico, while on spring break.

The second year of a PA’s education consists of rigorous clinical rotation across different specialties, such as pediatrics, surgery, and women’s health. Brock is quick to say that this year was the toughest.

“It’s difficult to prepare anyone for a professional career without them diving right in,” Brock said. “The hardest year of PA school was my third year when I was working (on clinical rotations). However, I had an excellent support network at UK. The faculty did a good job of being real and saying ‘This is what to expect. We’re not going to sugarcoat it. It’s going to be difficult.’… And that prepared me for a real work environment.”

Brock completed the majority of her clinical rotations in rural and underserved communities in the Commonwealth. Additionally, she completed three months of clinical rotations in Africa and Peru. To further augment her international experiences, she earned the Global Public Health graduate certificate.

The UK College of Health Sciences is recognizing Brock’s service with a commendation during National PA Week, Oct. 6-12. PA Week, hosted by the American Academy of Physician Assistants, is a celebration of the more than 100,000 clinically practicing PAs in the U.S., who are striving to meet patients’ needs in a changing health care system. PAs play a vital role in providing access to quality health care by examining, diagnosing and treating patients under the supervision of physicians. The profession is projected to experience

incredible growth over the next several years. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of physician assistants is projected to increase 38 percent from 2012 to 2022. Its growth far outpaces the projected 10.8 percent employment increase across all occupations for the same period.

Brock’s dedication to service and outreach is a testament to the values and ideals of the PA profession. However, she believes the call to serve extends beyond health care providers.      

“Frankly, I believe that service is a lifelong goal and responsibility for humans,” Brock said. “We are not created to exist in isolation or in silos. We are created to live in community. We live in a world that is getting more difficult with each day. But we can find so much hope in the support, assistance and love we can provide to each other in seemingly endless ways.”

Media Contact: Ann Blackford at 859-323-6442 or ann.blackford@uky.edu