Dr. Peacock’s journey to medicine and leadership
Cynthia Peacock, M.D. ’95, Res. ’99, associate professor of Medicine, medical director of the Transition Medicine Clinic at Baylor College of Medicine, knew since she was in the second grade that she wanted to have a career in healthcare.
Dr. Peacock was inspired by the story of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to earn a medical degree in the United States. But because her family didn’t have the resources to send her to medical school, Dr. Peacock began her healthcare career in nursing, where she gained a wealth of experience helping individuals with all kinds of medical needs. She and her husband eventually moved to Texas, where she got a job at Baylor as a nurse educator. It wasn’t long before she realized that her dream of becoming a doctor was within her reach.
Dr. Peacock knew her career as a nurse would make her an attractive prospective student. Baylor agreed, as she found during her medical school interviews.
“My Baylor interviewers saw my nursing career as giving me so much experience in the healthcare system. One of the first questions they asked me was ‘What do you want to do here at Baylor?’ And I thought, ‘Really? You think I can come here? Ok then, let me tell you what I’m going to do here.’ Whereas when I was interviewing around Texas, people kept bringing up how I was older than a typical medical student, and how that was supposedly going to make it harder for me. Baylor never told me that.”
After earning her medical degree, Dr. Peacock remained at the College to complete her residency in internal medicine and pediatrics, during which she was able to apply skills she had learned during from nursing, incluiding patient-centered care and team-based communication, at a time when such approaches were still very new. After she completed her training, she stayed on as Baylor faculty, eventually becoming director of the Medicine/Pediatrics Program before developing the Transition Medicine Program. She credits the supportive environment at Baylor for empowering her to pursue new goals, even as a young faculty member.
“I truly believe that Baylor allows you to excel to your best,” said Dr. Peacock. “If you think you can do something that’s wonderful, they’re going to let you do it.”
As a faculty member and alumna, Dr. Peacock finds ways to bolster that supportive environment for trainees and junior faculty, from encouraging their bold ideas to donating to the White Coat Fund to coaching them to believe in their abilities.
It’s what made her a natural fit for the Baylor College of Medicine Alumni Association’s Executive Committee, which leads and guides the Association as it conducts general business and interacts with trainees and the College. As the Alumni Executive Committee President, Dr. Peacock oversees functions such as soliciting, reviewing and selecting winners from the impressive slate of nominations for the annual Alumni Awards, announced each autumn. The 2025 Baylor College of Medicine Alumni Awards will be held on October 23.
All in all, Dr. Peacock enjoys giving back to the community that helped her achieve the dream of her second-grade self.
“At Baylor, I’ve always been supported, said Dr. Peacock. “There was always someone to help me, as a student, a resident and a faculty member. Now, as I get older, I like helping out junior faculty and recognizing alumni who have dedicated their careers to such wonderful pursuits.”
