Growing up in Tarboro, North Carolina, Jack Leland saw firsthand the impact of medicine. His parents, Bill Leland (MD ‘87) and Lisa Sykes Leland (MD ‘89), were pillars in the small town, known not only for their medical expertise but for their deep commitment to service.
“People would come up to my parents in Walmart and ask about a rash even though neither of them are dermatologists,” Jack said. “People knew who they were and trusted them to ask for help.”
Now, Jack is preparing for his own career in medicine. On March 20, he and his classmates in the UNC School of Medicine Class of 2026 will gather for Match Day, learning where they will continue their training as resident physicians.
Finding his own path to medicine
Despite growing up around medicine, Jack did not always plan to follow his parents’ footsteps. As an undergraduate at UNC, he was torn between pre-med and journalism.
It was not until he spent two gap years at a farmworker clinic in Benson, North Carolina, that his path became clear.
“Doing gap years after college was important for me to figure out whether medicine was something I wanted to do for myself and not just because my parents did it,” Jack said. “That was a good way for me to decide that it was something I wanted for myself.”
At the clinic, Jack worked closely with Dr. Eugene Maynard and saw the trust he built through long-term relationships with patients from different backgrounds.
“That was a powerful introduction to primary care for me,” Jack said. “I saw how we could be part of patients’ lives in a meaningful way. And not just for the patient, but for their families and communities as well.”
The same philosophy has long guided Jack’s father. As a medical student, Bill made intentional choices to prepare for a career rooted in service. Ahead of his own Match Day, he sought residency programs where he could strengthen his medical Spanish, ultimately training at the University of Texas in San Antonio. That decision later led to participation in multiple medical mission trips over the years.
“Throughout my career, that has been the most rewarding part of medicine,” said Bill, now a gastroenterologist at ECU Health. “The moments when you’re not serving the job but serving the patient.”
Once at the UNC School of Medicine, Jack began putting that same approach into practice.
Right away, he became involved in SHAC, the student-led clinic that provides free health care and services to underserved populations. He also joined CAMPOS, the medical Spanish curriculum designed to train physicians to care for the growing Latino patient population.
From 2024-2025, Jack was selected as a Schweitzer Fellow and completed a year-long project focused on improving health literacy for farmworkers living with diabetes.
As he prepares for residency, Jack remains drawn to hospital medicine and primary care to continue advocating for Spanish-speaking patients.
Honoring his mother’s legacy
Over his eight years at UNC, Jack has lived out many of the same experiences that his parents once had in Chapel Hill. It is where Bill and Lisa met as undergraduates and attended medical school together before building a life with a shared purpose.
That legacy carries a profound loss. In 2004, Lisa died in a car accident. Jack continues to honor her memory throughout his medical school journey.
When he was first accepted to UNC School of Medicine, his sister sent him an old photograph of his mother with one of her medical textbooks, noting how poignant it was that Jack would follow the same path.
“It is really meaningful to follow in her footsteps and to pursue something that she pursued,” Jack said. “It makes me feel closer to her in a lot of ways.”
As Match Day approaches, uncertainty looms about where Jack will spend the next chapter of his life. When asked what Lisa might say at this moment, Bill did not hesitate.
“I think Lisa would encourage him to make decisions that are important to him, important to his family and important to those that he serves,” Bill said. “She always lived for something greater than herself. So, I think she would encourage Jack to do the same thing.”
Jack and his father have remained close throughout medical school. Bill has been a steady source of support and encouragement during all the highs and lows.
“After my first test, I talked to him about how I didn’t feel that I did well,” Jack said. “I remember that phone call four years ago and now I’m about to know where I’m going for residency.”
A Carolina education
For the Leland family, UNC has been a second home. And in many ways, it’s been a dream come true.
Bill remembers the opportunities he had even back in the 1980s to grow in whatever direction he hoped. He described the medical school as a “ginormous buffet” where students could complete an international rotation or take part in clinical experiences from the mountains to the sea.
Those same opportunities remain a cornerstone of the school today. The School of Medicine offers dozens of global health experiences. During the Application Phase of the curriculum, students spend their entire third year at one of six campuses or clinical sites across the state.
“The school’s footprint in North Carolina is unmistakable,” Jack said. “We’re not just learning to do well on the tests. We’re learning to care for the patients that are here. UNC has met all my expectations and more, and that’s saying something because I had really high expectations.”
When Jack opens his Match Day envelope on March 20, his time in Chapel Hill may come to a close. But wherever he goes next, he’ll carry forth the values shaped by family, service and a Carolina education.
“Wherever we go,” Bill said, “we take Carolina with us.”