For over 25 years, Nicole Burwell was a practicing Physician Assistant (PA) — a licensed clinician who works with primary care and specialty physicians. Today, she is founding Program Director and Department Chair of a new master’s degree PA program at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
Nicole launched her career as a PA in her hometown of Washington, D.C. “I loved working in primary care and developing relationships with patients and families,” she says. She later relocated to California and joined Stanford School of Medicine sharing her experience and passion with PA students as a Clinical Associate Professor in the Stanford School of Medicine and as a clinical PA at Stanford Health Care. While Nicole enjoyed being a clinical caregiver and PA educator, she aspired to make an even greater impact and shape the future of the profession as an educational program administrator. She realized she needed more business knowledge and skills to make the leap from clinical practitioner to institutional leader.
In 2018, she enrolled in Stanford LEAD, Stanford Graduate School of Business Executive Education’s flagship online program. The yearlong experiential learning journey empowers leaders with the skills to elevate their impact, transform their mindset, and accelerate their careers.
“There were several opportunities to do a leadership program in the health care industry, but I wanted to learn from people in different industries,” Nicole says. “I chose LEAD because it complemented my skill set and offered a synergistic approach to strategic, business, and personal leadership skills that are essential for executive-level success.”
Rising as an Educational Leader
Nicole says her LEAD experience had an immediate impact on her personal growth and career development. “I was able to apply what I was learning in real time and get feedback from the faculty and my course facilitators,” she says. “That experiential learning was really transformative.”
The LEAD curriculum infuses research-based frameworks with social and experiential learning; courses in critical thinking, finance, and leadership; and a wide range of electives to personalize the learning experience. Nicole says LEAD’s courses such as Building Power to Lead, Design Thinking: From Insights to Viability, Leading With Insight: Self Awareness and Team Dynamics, and Communicating with Impact shaped who she is as a leader.
“The LEAD program was a bridge for me to make that transition from clinical PA and educator to an administrative role,” Nicole says.
One year after completing LEAD, in 2020, she was elected director at large of the Physician Assistant Education Association, a professional development organization; she went on to become the organization’s president in 2024. “LEAD helped refine my leadership qualities and gave me the confidence and the tools I needed for success,” she says.
An elective course on leadership and communication helped Nicole learn how to consider diverse perspectives and opinions when problem solving and decision-making. This learning experience supported her mission to attract multicultural candidates to the PA profession and reduce health care disparities in underserved communities. She found her voice as an authority and advocate; after completing LEAD, Nicole was the co-recipient of a national research grant and co-authored scholarly papers on fostering inclusivity in PA education.
Nicole says learning with other global leaders from a variety of industries has been a lasting benefit of LEAD. “I learned how people from other industries approach problems,” Nicole says. “And now I’ve applied what I learned to the broader medical and educational community.” The LEAD community continues to support her professional growth. “The ability to stay engaged with faculty and my cohort has been great.”
Achieving a Major Career Milestone
In 2023, Nicole returned to the East Coast to become Department Chair and Founding Director of a new Physician Assistant Studies program at North Carolina A&T — the largest Historically Black College and University in the country.
“People are living longer now because of technological and medical advances we have made,” Nicole says. “We are looking at a healthcare shortage. I think PAs are uniquely positioned to fill this gap. I look forward to educating more PAs to step into that role and lead in that space.” Nicole will welcome the university’s first class of PA graduate students in fall 2025.
Nicole credits her participation in LEAD with supporting her rise as an educator and leader in her profession. “I still refer to my notes from LEAD,” she says. “My hope is to share what I’ve learned to impact the next generation of PA leaders, advocates, innovators, and catalysts. I hope to build strong pathways into the PA profession for students underrepresented in medicine and ensure that our curriculum and clinical experiences reflect the realities of the communities we aim to serve.”
To others considering LEAD, Nicole offers this advice: “To get the most out of LEAD, create the space in your life, and commit the time and effort to be fully engaged and present. Then, leverage the knowledge and skills you gain to innovate, disrupt, and take your career or organization to the next level.”
