Perspectives Winter/Spring 2018

Fernandez joined the NSU PA faculty as an assistant professor in June 2017. She is from Miami and graduated from Florida International University with a Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Sciences. She then worked as a medical laborato- ry technologist with Integrated Regional Laboratories in Fort Lauderdale, where she participated in the integration of the first automated laboratory in South Florida. She went on to pursue her PA education at Barry University in Miami Shores, earning her Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies degree in 2004. As a student, she received the Excellence of Physical Diagnosis Award. After earning her master’s degree, she worked as a PA in family medicine for 13 years, providing care for patients ranging from pediatric to geriatric. During this time, she also served Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences 45 as preceptor to numerous PA students from both Barry University and NSU. Her prior work as a medical technologist has left Fernandez with a keen interest in this field. She hopes to use her exper- tise to create a vivid conceptualization of laboratory tests taught in the clinical laboratory medicine course, drawing students into the laboratory. Additionally, her experience working with a wide spectrum of patients provides her with flexibility in terms of lecturing on different clinical topics. The fortuitous acquisition by the PA Department of three new faculty members with strong, varied talents and experience over a short period demonstrates that good things do indeed come in threes. ● From left: Sylvia Fernandez, Lucia Lopez, and Natalee Covitz