Jacquetta Woods Melvin, MPH, PA-C, joined the faculty of the Duke Physician Assistant Program on July 19, 2021. She earned her Master of Public Health in Maternal and Child Health from the UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health in 2011, and her Bachelor of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Howard University in 2008.
Why did you choose to join the faculty in the Department of Family Medicine & Community Health?
There were a lot of reasons I chose the join the faculty in the Department of Family Medicine & Community Health. I would say the most important reason I chose to join the faculty was the opportunity to become a part of the #1 ranked Duke Physician Assistant Program. The PA program is true to it's mission of educating caring and competent physician assistants. Over time, everyone I have had the opportunity to meet are passionate and dedicated to the program and its mission.
Where were you working previous to Duke? What was your role there?
Prior to Duke I was a PA member of the Benign Gynecology team at UNC Women's Hospital and a clinical instructor in the UNC School of Medicine. In my clinical role I provided inpatient obstetrical and gynecological services to women from all over our state and staffed a same day OB/GYN clinic for more women with more urgent needs. As a clinical instructor I was an educator for both PA and medical student learners. I facilitated small group learning experiences focused on women’s health topics and provided hands-on clinical teaching for breast and pelvic exams. I also clinically precepted many PA and medical students as they rotated through the service.
What is your approach to mentorship/teaching?
As a preceptor and teacher, my goal is to always empower students and enable confidence needed to become competent health care providers. My goal is to help boost the confidence of the student and allow them to see their own abilities and what they are capable of doing independently. Through my approach, throughout my decade long career I have seen students grow by leaps and bounds in their confidence and their skills during their clinical rotation with me. I welcome educated questions and opportunities for students to gain a better understanding of concepts and objectives. My teaching philosophy is mostly attributed to characteristics of instructors that I felt made the greatest impact on my clinical education. I personally felt I learned the best when I was challenged to perform tasks that I knew I was capable of, but without a push would not have had the confidence to do so.
What is your clinical focus?
My clinical focus has been obstetrics and gynecology, with a heavier focus on gynecology. In addition to my inpatient experience, I have years of ambulatory women’s health care experience, specifically in preventive well woman care, management of common gynecological complaints, contraception management, and minor gynecologic procedures.
What are your research interests?
My research interests are in health disparities among minority and underserved populations, specifically in reproductive and maternal health.