Perspectives Summer/Fall 2016

COLLEGE OF HEALTH CARE SCIENCES • 3 During the summer months, the NSU Health Professions Division (HPD) welcomes thousands of eager new students into its myriad programs. This moment of accomplishment is preceded annually by an exhaustive admis- sions process that allows us to select what we hope are not only the best and the brightest, but also the most compassionate and capable health care pro- fessionals of the future. The HPD admissions process is very unique in terms of today’s academic mind-set, because we interview every applicant who goes on to be accepted into one of our pro- grams. This process follows the admissions philosophy of Morton Terry, D.O., the founder of the Health Professions Division, who always said, “You can’t tell a person’s ability or potential just by looking at grades or standardized test scores.” We live by this credo, which I think effectively serves the health care professions and the people who are cared for by the health professionals who graduate from our programs. What gives me great pride is that, in looking at the graduates who went through our admissions process, their selection centered on humanistic criteria, and not just on their grade point averages and standard- ized test scores. They were chosen based on an interview that helped the interviewers gain deeper insights about each applicant. I truly believe our admissions process plays a major role in explaining why we have such a diaspora of people who are providing health care services at the highest administrative level throughout the United States and globally. Our graduates are serving in diverse roles, ranging from directors of trauma centers and county health departments to distinguished pharmaceutical research directors. Whether it be an alumnus who is serving as president of one of the largest pharmacy corporations or a graduate who is improving the health care outcomes of everyone from stroke victims to impaired veterans, our alumni are having a positive impact in all areas of health care. These are the elements that create the additive sum of a great university. NSU has evolved into an academic institution that serves as a paradigm of educational diversity and excellence due to the integrity, quality, and capability it provides to its students and graduates. Frederick Lippman, R.Ph., Ed.D. Chancellor, Health Professions Division Nova Southeastern University Chancellor’s Communiqué