Gwinnett Grads Return as GA-PCOM Faculty Members
March 28, 2016![Nold and Patel](/_resources/images/news/gapcom-news/march-2016/grads.jpg)
Both Carrie (Smith) Nold, MPA, PA-C, and Deepa Patel, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP, attended
Gwinnett County Public Schools from elementary through high school.
The “Gwinnett is Great” water towers spanned the sky when two of our current faculty
members were high schoolers. For a time, Gwinnett County was known as the fastest
growing county in the nation. Now the second most populated county in Georgia, Gwinnett
continues its growth spurt. In fact, last year, the Atlanta Business Chronicle reported
that in a 12 month period, the county experienced the largest single-year growth in
the region with 15,700 new residents added. However, it’s still a small world for
two Gwinnettians who grew up in the area, left to pursue degrees – one now a Tiger
and the other a Bulldog, and returned as faculty members to Georgia Campus – Philadelphia
College of Osteopathic Medicine (GA-PCOM) in Suwanee, Georgia.
Both Carrie (Smith) Nold, MPA, PA-C, and Deepa Patel, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP, attended
Gwinnett County Public Schools from elementary through high school. The two remember
having a few classes together during their time at Creekland Middle School and Collins
Hill High School, especially one advanced placement math class. Nold is now an Assistant
Professor and full-time faculty member at GA-PCOM’s Physician Assistant (PA) Studies Program, while Dr. Patel is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice
at the PCOM School of Pharmacy.
Nold earned her undergraduate degree at Clemson University before receiving a Master
of Physician Assistant Studies degree at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta.
Prior to working at GA-PCOM, Nold worked clinically as a PA in the Neuroscience Department
at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. She delivered neurology
lectures to the PA students and then completed a one-year Academic Fellowship with
the PA Program there in June 2015.
Coming to GA-PCOM allowed Nold to combine her love for teaching and medicine; “After
completing my fellowship, I wanted to pursue a full time teaching position with a
Physician Assistant program. When I found out GA-PCOM was starting a distant campus
for the PA program, I felt it would be a great opportunity to work as a faculty member,”
she said, adding that “ My parents still live in the area so it was also nice to be
closer to them.”
Dr. Patel attended the University of Georgia before earning her Doctor of Pharmacy
degree at Mercer University College of Pharmacy. After graduating from pharmacy school,
she pursued a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System
in Savannah, Georgia, followed by a PGY2 specialty residency in Critical Care Pharmacy
at Buffalo General Medical Center in Buffalo, New York.
Searching for a career opportunity that would bring her south, Dr. Patel said, “The
position for a pharmacy practice faculty member at PCOM School of Pharmacy was a perfect
fit, giving me the chance to return to Gwinnett and to share my experience and expertise
with the next generation of pharmacists.”
Both professors agree that Gwinnett County has changed a lot since their growing up
years. Dr. Patel, for instance, noted the significant increase in population and said,
“There is a lot more diversity and opportunities, both culturally and educationally.”
Nold mentioned that every time she returned from Charleston, she was amazed at what
was changing, “Just more of everything... more restaurants and housing, new schools.”
She added, “I am pleased to be working in the same county where I received my own
education which prepared me to be successful in my undergraduate and graduate studies.”
She added, “I appreciate being a part of PCOM in giving back to the community I call
home - whether it is with the Gwinnett Medical Center Medical Explorers program or
the Gwinnett Science Fair.”
![Nold and Patel](/_resources/images/news/gapcom-news/march-2016/grads2.jpg)
About PCOM Georgia
Established in 2005, PCOM Georgia is a branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a private,
not-for-profit, accredited institution of higher education with a storied 125-year
history dedicated to the healthcare professions. Located in Suwanee (Gwinnett County),
PCOM Georgia offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and physical
therapy. Graduate degrees are offered in biomedical sciences, medical laboratory science
and physician assistant studies. The campus joins PCOM South Georgia in Moultrie in
helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state. Emphasizing "a whole person" approach
to care, PCOM Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education
and service to the community. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. The campus is also home to the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center,
an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic, which is open to the public by appointment.
For more information, visit pcomgeorgiahealth.org.
Contact Us
Jamesia Harrison, MS
Assistant Director, News and Media Relations
Email: jamesiaha@pcom.edu
Office: 678-225-7532 | Cell: 470-572-7558
Connect with PCOM Georgia