The Presbyterian College Physician Assistant Program Class of 2024

The Presbyterian College Physician Assistant program celebrated two major student milestones Saturday – the annual White Coat Ceremony for students beginning their clinical rotations and commencement for the graduating class of 2024.

The PCPA program presented white coats to the 34 students who successfully concluded the first-year, didactic experience in the program.

In her opening remarks to the Class of 2025, PA program director Amanda Stevenson-Cali reminded students of the reasons they decided to enter the medical field and how far they have come in their first year of study.

“To say you have learned a lot in the past year would be a ridiculous understatement,” she said. “You have learned more than any human being should be expected to learn in 12 months. You’ve learned anatomy and physiology, the basis of medicine. You’ve learned about approximately 1,000 diseases and 500 medications. You’ve learned to examine the entire human body and perform invasive procedures. You’ve learned all the diagnostic tests and imaging to investigate illness and prevent disease. You’ve proven your knowledge by taking a seemingly infinite number of multiple-choice questions and demonstrating your physical exam skills to your professors.”

Stevenson-Cali said students entering their final year of clinical studies have the opportunity now to combine their newfound knowledge with the reasons they entered the field of medicine in the first place.

“In just a few days, you get to start caring for patients,” she said. “I’m not saying this to scare you but to remind you that you have worked tirelessly for this, and you should be extremely proud of yourselves. In the moments when things feel overwhelming, remember how far you’ve come and why you started this journey in the first place.”

In his address to the Class of 2025, PA medical director Dr. Lincoln McGinnis told students they are ready for the next step in their medical education.

“You guys have proven that you have what it takes to succeed in this,” he said. “Do not be intimidated by what you’re about to do, because you are ready.”

Though the challenges are steep, they are also rewarding and necessary, McGinnis said.

“The experience of taking care of people and seeing what happens when you give certain medicines or give certain procedures, really is how we gain the knowledge that we need to become outstanding providers,” he said. “Even though every stage feels harder than the one before, you are ready. And I want you to do your best to embrace this challenge, because it will grow you into the provider that you’re meant to be and the person that you’re meant to be.”

McGinnis quoted Helen Keller, who said, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”

McGinnis also encouraged students to place their patients first and to love them. Caring for patients who are sick or dying is the ultimate expression of love and surpasses even clinical knowledge, McGinnis said.

“People who are at their most vulnerable will look to you for love and care and support,” he said. “Remember, being an outstanding clinician is the minimum requirement. What will make you the excellent and best PA that you can be is taking that foundation and communicating the care you have for the patient. Patients want to feel cared about. So, genuinely care about and love your patients and you will be an outstanding healthcare provider.”

Award winners at the White Coat Ceremony were:

• Shelia Fay Parnell – Commitment to Service Award
• Chanel Chante’ Sanders – Scotty Strength Award
• Anna Catherine Fuller – Top Performing Didactic Student

Addressing the graduating Class of 2024, PC president Dr. Anita Gustafson reminded them also that learning compassion and being dedicated to service are as important as becoming a skilled clinician.

“These are the skills that will set you apart as graduates of Presbyterian College and are so vitally important for patient care,” she said. “I also encourage you to recognize the great privilege you have as a PA. You have the privilege to make a difference in the lives of your patients.”

Dr. Erin McAdam, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs at PC, reminded the Class of 2024 of the responsibilities they will have beyond treating illnesses.

“Your role carries with it a profound civil duty, particularly at a time when the need for skilled and ethical health care professionals has never been greater,” she said. “You are not just practitioners, you are also advocates for the well-being of every patient that you encounter. You will stand at the intersection of science and humanity, where your decisions can affect not only individuals, but entire communities.”

Serving with integrity, humility, and a commitment to equity gives health care providers the power to improve the quality of live for everyone regardless of background or circumstance, McAdams said.

“You have the opportunity to advocate for policies that enhance public health, to educate our communities about preventive care, and to ensure that health care is not just a privilege for a few, but a right for all,” she said. “Graduates, as you leave here today, I hope that you carry with you the values of empathy, integrity, and lifelong learning. Remember that your education here at Presbyterian College has prepared you not just for that career, but for a life of service and leadership. Be more than just clinicians – be advocates, be leaders, and be voices for those who cannot always speak for themselves.”

Award winners for the Class of 2024 were:

• Chloe Lee Cox – Clinical Student of the Year Award
• Gabryel Dawn Santos – Clinical Crusher Award and Valedictorian
• Joel Douglas Elam – Don Raber Award
• Dr. William Brearley ’72 – Honorary Member of Pi Alpha Honor Society

The Graduating Class of 2024

• Kimsey Elise Aguero
• Savannah Moorefield Amos
• Anna Kathryn Burton
• Catherine Dugan Butz
• Emily Joan Cavanaugh
• Sofie Lorraine Chirichiello
• Chloe Lee Cox
• Jessica Elizabeth Davis
• Lucas lee DePasquale
• Joel Douglas Elam – Pi Alpha Honor Society
• Lyndsey Kaitlyn Fields
• Emily Higginbotham Gath
• Kayla Shaniece Gerald
• Bailey McNeill Greer – Pi Alpha Honor Society
• Rachel Joyce Hawk
• Britney Mikala Haynes
• Laila Mohammed Ali Jamila
• Andrew Lane Kyzer
• Abigail Rose Levins
• Christin Lynn McAlister
• Brianna Joanne Milne
• Sophie Elizabeth Moore – Pi Alpha Honor Society
• Gabryel Dawn Santos
• Heidi Marie Shafer
• Lauren Gail Thayer
• Eryn Marie Timmons
• Audrey Grace Ulmer
• Maisie Fisher Verdin
• Slade Christopher Walters
• Jonah Eugene Woo
• Jaden Michelle Kar-Yun Yam – Pi Alpha Honor Society

2024 White Coat Recipients

• Mckenna Shea Berger
• Margaret Maylon Bovard
• Mary Margaret Britton
• Erin Elizabeth Carter
• Christine Florence Caudill
• Alex Allen Crysler
• Kyle Wayne Decker
• Logan Marie Drake
• Emma Kate Eitenmiller
• Briana Elise Fallon
• Hannah Grace Fowler
• Anna Catherine Fuller
• Sarah Frances Gyenes
• Kelsey Darlena Hopkins
• Allison Lisa Jones
• Joshua Seth Kerr
• Vasillki Evangelia Migdalas
• Shooka Moallemi
• Ellie Lacour Norris
• Shelia Fay Parnell
• Brady Michael Peters
• Phillip Pipenko
• Madeline Danielle Richburg
• Amanda Marie Roper
• Cassidy Paige Ryan
• Chanel Chante’ Sanders
• Carter Schmitz
• Jessica Ann Segars
• Kayla Marie Stein
• Gerianne Octavia Ward
• Hannah Christine Watts
• Tara Ann Weaver
• Sarah Grace Whitt
• Megan Carmichael Wooles

The Presbyterian College Physician Assistant Program Class of 2025.