Horizons Fall 2014

30 HORIZONS NSU’s regional campuses By Lona O’Connor Tampa When Perry Cleghorn was hired by North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida, his new bosses had a question: “They wanted to know what my professors were doing,” said Cleghorn, 24. “They said that, as far as technique and knowledge base, stu- dents from Nova Southeastern University were far ahead of students from other places.” Cleghorn is a member of the first class to graduate from the fully accredited Bachelor of Science in Cardiovascular Sonography program, one of the newest at the Tampa Regional Campus. “Cardiovascular sonography is one of the most highly paid medical specializations” said Sam Yoders, M.H.Sc., RVT, director of NSU’s Cardiovascular Sonography program. Six of the fourteen students in Cleghorn’s class had job offers before they graduated in August, said Yoders. They also have high job satisfaction as key members of medical teams, working closely with cardiologists and vascular surgeons in hos- pitals and private practice. Yoders explained that an important factor in the program is a low student- to-faculty member ratio with class size limited to a maximum of 24. The program has five full-time faculty members and two adjuncts, said Yoders. When Cleghorn and others struggled with a difficult course in physics, his instructor was right there to help. Melissa Keen said her physics instruc- tor spent two hours helping her review topics for an important national exam. Keen is now beginning her one-year clinical rotation, the culmination of the intensive, 27-month program. Students in the program are eligible to sit for both the Adult Echo and Vascular national registry exams. Another ally NSU students have in the demand- ing program is “Norman,” a lifelike echocardiogra- phy simulator built to feel like a human body—with simulated ribs and internal organs. He is programmed to manifest a healthy heart and 18 common heart ailments. Practicing on Norman gives students skills and confidence before they begin to perform exams on real people. “The simulator helps our students form that internal image of what the structures of the heart look like,” said Yoders. “Students say it really helps them.” Many medical schools use simulators, but only NSU’s Tampa Regional Campus uses one to train cardiovascular sonographers. The regional campus draws about 1,000 students from Florida, other parts of the nation, and internationally—including Central America and the Middle East. It also offers degrees in business, education, and management information systems. Regional Campuses Bring Needed Programs to Areas Top and center: The Cardiovascular Sonography program at the Tampa campus has five full-time faculty members. Bottom, the Master of Medical Science physician assistant degree is a premier program at the Jacksonville campus.