About Me

Welcome! My name is Rachael McLean and I am a certified PA (physician assistant). I decided to open this practice, because I strongly believe in providing high-quality, compassionate care to patients and that means giving patients time to tell their story. It also means taking time to review treatment options in depth, so that patients can play an active role in their care and share in decision-making. Now, let me share with you a little about myself, as a person and as a professional healthcare provider. 

On a personal note, I love to hike and find that time in nature is good for my body and mind. I have seen some magnificent and awe-inspiring landscapes—from Yosemite National Park in California to Acadia National Park in Maine. And there are many more national parks I’d like to see. Another passion of mine is dogs! My family and I have a Shiba-Corgi mix, who is a quirky little guy! He has never met a blade of grass he didn’t want to take time to sniff. In my free time, I also enjoy listening to music and going to concerts. 

Let’s move on to my professional background. I have been a PA since early 2014 and I spent the first part of my career working in community health/primary care with integrated behavioral health, where I gained a tremendous amount of experience in mental health and substance use, as well as general medicine. Since February 2020, I have been working full time solely in the area of mental health, including substance use and eating disorders, in a variety of settings including residential/PHP/IOP. Throughout my career, I have enjoyed working with a diverse group of patients, including those in the LGBTQIA+ community. My passion for mental health and eating disorders stems in large part from personal experience—I think everyone has friends or family who have experienced problems with their mental health. Struggles in the area of mental health and eating disorders are much more common than people realize, it’s just not talked about openly. I completed my Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in Psychiatry in Fall 2022, which is a designation for physician assistants that demonstrates both my level of experience and broad knowledge base in psychiatry. I also complete at least 100 hours of continuing education every two years, because I know that I must stay up to date in the fields of psychiatry and mental health in order to continue providing excellent care to my patients. 

Here’s a summary of my professional qualifications.

EDUCATION

Drexel University – Philadelphia, PA — Master of Health Sciences with Physician Assistant Certificate 

New College of Florida – Sarasota, FL — Bachelor of Arts in Religion

CLINICAL CERTIFICATIONS

Board Certified as a Physician Assistant - NCCPA (National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants)

Licensed by the North Carolina Medical Board

Certificate of Added Qualification in Psychiatry

Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)

Clozapine REMS Program (Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy)

TEACHING

Clinical Preceptor - Precepting advance practice clinician students (PAs and nurse practitioners) in clinical settings.

Guest Lecturer at Thomas Jefferson University on Medical/Psychiatric Management of Eating Disorders, as well as Somatic Symptoms & Related Disorders.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals - Member 

Western North Carolina Chapter of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals - Medical Liaison/Board Member (2023 to 2025)

American Academy of Physician Assistants - Fellow