NSU Orlando Boasts Third Straight Year of 100 Percent Pass Rate for Physician Assistant certification

ORLANDO, Fla.  — For the third consecutive year, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) Orlando’s Physician Assistant (PA) program can boast a 100 percent first time pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certification Exam (PANCE). Additionally, the graduates of NSU’s PA program in Orlando have bested the national average for the exam for the past four years.  The PANCE is required of every graduate in order to become a certified PA.

A physician assistant (or PA) is a nationally certified and state-licensed medical professional.  PAs practice medicine on healthcare teams with physicians and other providers.  They practice and prescribe medication in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and all U.S. territories, with the exception of Puerto Rico (AAPA, 2014).

“Exceptional results are achieved by exceptional students,” said Lorilee Butler, MPAS, M.Ed., PA-C, director of NSU Orlando’s PA program.  “We strive to select the most outstanding candidates for our program.”

“Beyond possessing a good GPA,” Butler said, “it is also important to have a strong drive and determination.  With our hearts in the right place, we can make a difference in the lives of our patients.”

Butler accounts for this continuing success by emphasizing the program’s traditional curriculum, the increased use of high fidelity medical simulation, and clinical decision-making case studies, all of which have provided the students with a strong academic foundation.

The Orlando PA Program students complete their clinical rotations locally in many private clinics, the Florida Hospital system, Orlando Health System and the Heart of Florida system. Such comprehensive training leads to certain employment, Butler said.

“The need for quality PA’s is clearly demonstrated,” said William H. Marquardt, M.A., PA, DFAAPA, associate dean for physician assistant education, at NSU’s College of Health Care Sciences. “The job openings are out there, and we’re filling them.”

NSU also offers the PA program at NSU’s campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville and Fort Myers, Fla.

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Nova Southeastern University’s Orlando Campus:  Nova Southeastern University’s Orlando Regional Campus is conveniently located off of Interstate 4 (I-4) on Millenia Boulevard. NSU has had a presence in the greater Orlando area for many years, and this facility services approximately 1,000 students. Evening, weekend and online classes are available to suit every student’s needs, who can earn their bachelor’s, master’s, specialist or doctoral degree. Some of the programs available include information technology, nursing (RN to BSN), education and business administration.

About Nova Southeastern University: Situated on 314 beautiful acres in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at all levels. NSU is an independent, not-for-profit institution with 26,000 students at campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Palm Beach and Tampa, Florida as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico. NSU awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctoral and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields. NSU is classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and it is one of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification. For more information, please visit www.nova.edu. Celebrating 50 years of academic excellence!

Media Contact:
Julie Spechler, M.A. | Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5348 (office)
954-591-3361 (cell)
julies@nova.edu

Jeremy Katzman, M.B.A. | Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5408 (office)
954-661-7000 (cell)
j.katzman@nova.edu