After consulting with his mentor from the University of Virginia, Carl Trindle, he changed fields and enrolled in medical school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning a Doctor of Medicine degree there in 1977.
Setelah berkonsultasi dengan mentornya dari Universitas Virginia, Carl Trindle, ia berganti bidang studi dan kuliah di sekolah kedokteran pada University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, meraih gelar Doctor of Medicine di sana pada tahun 1977.