Physician Assistant Aaron Brown Joins Oaklawn's Gastroenterology Services

While he was growing up in the Michigan city of Portland, a career as a physician assistant almost always seemed to be just around the corner for Aaron Brown.

After all, he didn’t have far to look for inspiration.

“My paternal grandfather was the town doctor for 40 years, and I grew up watching him and seeing how medicine should be done,” Brown said, adding that he always believed medicine was in his future.

That belief turned out to come true, for Brown now has joined Oaklawn Medical Group – Gastroenterology, where he will work as a physician assistant alongside Urvish K. Shah, M.D., and Rajvinder Sidhu, M.D., in Suite 3A of the Wright Medical Building at 215 E. Mansion St. Appointments may be made by calling (269) 789-0025.

Before he even began to attend Portland High School, Brown had pretty much made up his mind where he was going to end up, considering the medical examples set by his grandfather and father, both of whom were general practitioners who made house calls, delivered babies and took care of families. In fact, Brown’s father still practices medicine in Portland.

“I saw how things were done and how you could help people who needed help,” Brown said. “There’s nothing more intimate than your health, and I saw that – if people trusted you with your health and you had the ability to help, I would do that,” he added.

“By the time I was in elementary school I was definitely thinking about it as a career,” he said. “By fourth or fifth grade, I was on track to go into medicine.”

In high school, Brown’s class schedule reflected that decision, and included courses in anatomy as well as advanced biology and chemistry.

“My family was very encouraging but they never pushed me in that direction,” Brown said. “It was my decision.”

Brown earned a bachelor of science degree in human biology from Michigan State University in 2012. He worked as a personal fitness trainer in Lansing, and from 2015 to 2018 as a medical assistant for Lansing Urgent Care.

Brown went on to obtain a master of science degree in physician assistant studies from Central Michigan University in 2020.

Brown is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. He is additionally certified in basic life support, advanced cardiac life support, pediatric advanced life support and critical care support. Brown is a member of the Michigan Academy of Physician Assistants and the American Academy of Physician Assistants.

Brown and his wife of five years, Tess, are planning to move to Marshall later in the year. In the meantime, the couple live in Charlotte with their feline housemates, Cooper and Louie.

Brown enjoys listening and playing music, and said he “dabbles” in piano and guitar. He and his wife also enjoy world travel, having spent time in Greece, France, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Brown said he has been impressed by everyone with whom he has spoken at Oaklawn.

“Everyone I’ve met was really great,” he said. “They like being there. They all seem to genuinely enjoy what they’re doing and they like being there. It felt to me like a good, cohesive unit.”

Such mutual support among the medical staff is vital in the treatment of patients, he said.

“You don’t want to be a robot practicing medicine,” Brown said. “Your health is a really personal matter, and I want my patients to feel comfortable. We want a team that genuinely cares and helps the patient feel safe.”