Take 5 with Primary Care Provider Joshua Lancaster, MD

We, at WakeMed, are pleased to announce the arrival of our new Wake Forest primary care physician. Joshua Lancaster, MD, brings a wealth of experience and a commitment to providing high-quality health care. With a focus on patient-centered care, he aims to foster strong relationships with patients and address their individual health needs. 

If you work, live or play in or around Wake Forest, NC, we encourage you to learn more about the positive impact Dr. Lancaster will have on our community's well-being.

Tell us a bit about your educational history.

I am the son of a naval aviator, so we moved around quite a bit for my early education. I completed high school in Hellertown, PA, which is in the Lehigh Valley in eastern Pennsylvania. I came to North Carolina to attend Davidson College. I moved back to Pennsylvania to earn my medical degree from Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia and returned to North Carolina, where I completed my residency at the Duke University Family Medicine Residency in Durham, NC, serving as chief resident. My clinical training at Duke, along with serving as chief resident, deepened my commitment to community health, continuity of care and honed my procedural skills. I later completed a fellowship in Primary Care Transformation at Duke.

When did you realize you wanted to be a doctor? Was it a childhood dream?

The decision to become a doctor was not an all-at-once decision. I grew up as the grandson of a pediatrician who opened and ran a practice in my hometown. I got to see the role he played in the community as a caregiver and physician leader. He was also head of the Medical Society in that part of Pennsylvania. Seeing him affect a lot of people's lives in that area was transformative.

When I was in high school, I got to interact with the medical care system a bit more directly. I had an ice hockey injury that involved a couple of surgeries. During recovery, I got to see how medical providers are able to work with people over time and sit with them through their recoveries, which would inform my decision to pursue primary care. 

The third episode was in college where I was in a very intellectually and academically rigorous environment and very invested in my science studies. I came to the realization that medicine was a good fit because it allowed me to apply that intellectual rigor with the craft of patient care. It combined a meaningful relationship with deep knowledge and hands-on skills.

I wanted to work in a clinic, see patients over the span of their lives and get to know them within their communities and within their families. 

Why did you decide to come to WakeMed?

WakeMed has a great reputation, so when my family and I relocated to Wake Forest, I saw an opportunity to become a doctor in the community in which I live. The new Wake Forest Medical Park, with all the specialties under one roof, including first touch primary care, created a supportive environment to leverage the resources of WakeMed to help my patients. Also, the facilities amazed me.

What special interests are currently captivating you?

I particularly enjoy doing procedures, such as joint injections. I support patients in managing their medications.

I also address common problems, including toenail trimmings, ingrown toenail removals and callous removals. It isn't glamorous, but it's an interesting, gratifying way to serve and an important part of their health too, especially with diabetic patients as I learn stories and details from patients that I wouldn't have gleaned otherwise.

Why should patients select you as their primary care doctor?

A lot of patients are looking for somebody who's experienced, and I've been a full-time clinical doctor for almost 10 years now on the outpatient side, very focused on very high needs clinical work. I've seen almost everything there is to see. I have a reputation for being thoroughly organized, bringing a calm and collected demeanor when I'm with patients. I think my patients relate to and gravitate towards that sort of interaction.

Tell us about your hobbies.

I enjoy trail running along the reservoir soft trails in Wake Forest. That was one of the big appeals of the community: I can walk out my door and be in the woods. Also, there's a growing system of greenways throughout Wake Forest that I enjoy, including the Smith Creek Greenway.

My wife and I love gardening together. We do a lot of vegetables, including tomatoes and peppers, but I honestly love growing zinnias, dahlias and other kinds of flowers. I like color, and I like being able to cut flowers and bring them to family and neighbors. 

Music is another important hobby. I grew up playing piano, guitar and drums. I appreciate my parents for keeping me in piano lessons despite a lot of moaning and groaning. I also enjoy listening to the record player or trying to catch the occasional concert. In terms of favorite artists, I'd start with James Taylor, as a good North Carolina artist, and go from there.

Our favorite activity is spending time with our two- and four-year-old boys, just chasing them wherever they lead us.