Both Sides of the Brain: Kevin Schuer Blends Music, Medicine and Mentorship

By Ella Rosner and Ryan Clark
CHS Contributors

If you ask students in the University of Kentucky Physician Assistant Studies program what they know about Kevin Schuer, DrPH, PA-C, the answers tend to come quickly.

Program Director. Associate professor. Passionate educator. Dedicated clinician.

And then — usually with a grin — rock singer.

Schuer has become something of a college curiosity: A respected health sciences educator who also happened to front bands, tour, and still maintain a small but enthusiastic cult following in a local band. It’s a combination that surprises people at first, but for Schuer, music and medicine have never lived in separate worlds.

“They’re really the same skill set,” he said. “It’s both sides of the brain working together.”

A not-so-linear path

Schuer grew up in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio, in a house where music was always playing. His parents kept records spinning constantly, and he and his brothers grew up singing, performing and being “a little silly,” as he puts it. Add in strong K–12 programs that valued music, theater and performance, and creativity became part of his identity early on.

At the same time, science and medicine quietly pulled at him, too. A hometown pediatrician took an interest in Schuer’s life, modeling what it looked like to care deeply for people and build trust within a community.

“That stayed with me,” Schuer said. “Even when I was doing other things, that idea of helping people through medicine never really went away.”

After college, “other things” included starting a band called The Schuers (whose records are still available on iTunes and Spotify) with his brother and touring the college circuit across the country.

“It was a TON of fun,” he laughed. “The internet has a lot of evidence of that time … I’m not sure how I feel about all of it.”

Eventually, the pull toward health care won out. The Physician Assistant profession felt like the right fit: Intensive training, early entry into patient care, and the ability to adapt wherever patients were needed most.

“It’s a profession grounded in service, teamwork and lifelong learning,” Schuer said. “That aligned with how I see both medicine and education.”

Finding home at UK

Schuer joined the UK Physician Assistant Studies faculty in 2008 after completing a fellowship with the National Center for Patient Safety in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He later earned his Doctor of Public Health degree from the University of Kentucky College of Public Health, focusing on health management and policy.

UK, he says, felt right almost immediately.

“My older brother nearly went here, and once I visited, it just clicked,” Schuer said. “Lexington is a special place. UK is a special community. It felt like a place where I could be.”

That sense of belonging has only deepened over time. Today, Schuer serves as Program Director and Associate Professor in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies, overseeing curricular development, program evaluation and administration. He teaches across the College of Health Sciences, contributes to interprofessional education and continues to practice clinically with UK’s General Internal Medicine Group.

Nationally, he’s an active voice in PA education and medical education, including prior service on the Physician Assistant Education Association Board of Directors.

Still, when he talks about what he finds most rewarding, the answer comes easily.

“It’s always the people,” he said. “Our students, faculty and staff are remarkable. Thoughtful. Hardworking. Deeply committed to improving health care.”

Enter: The Lexington Lab Band

These days, Schuer still makes music — most notably with the Lexington Lab Band.

“They have a cult following internationally,” he said, smiling. “It’s a riot.”

Students usually discover his musical side quickly, and when they do, it becomes part of the classroom culture.

“They give me a hard time,” he said. “And we have fun with it.”

But there’s something intentional underneath the jokes. Schuer wants students to see that being an exceptional clinician doesn’t require abandoning the things that make you you.

“I want them to know they can be incredible health care providers and still hold onto the things that identify them most,” he said. “They’re dynamic people. Comprehensive people.”

Medicine needs creativity

For Schuer, the overlap between music and medicine isn’t metaphorical; it’s practical.

“True medicine requires both sides of the brain,” he said. “The analytical, linear thinking, and the creative, curious, compassionate side.”

Music taught him how to listen, adapt in real time, collaborate with others and read a room. Those same skills show up in patient care, education and leadership.

“You need structure,” he said. “But you also need empathy, creativity and flexibility. That’s where trust and connection happen.”

Outside of work and music, Schuer spends his time with family, outdoors hiking and camping, golfing when he can — and birding.

“Birds are amazing,” he said. “Not kidding.”

A fuller picture

To students, Kevin Schuer may be a professor, a program director or “that guy in a band.” In reality, he’s all of those things, which is exactly the point.

Medicine, teaching and research don’t require one narrow version of who someone can be. In fact, Schuer would argue they’re better when fueled by curiosity, creativity and joy.

“It’s been a fun ride,” he said. “And I’m grateful I get to bring all of myself into the work.”