Families, friends and significant others filled the Opperman Music Hall for Friday night’s White Coat Ceremony, celebrating the successful completion of the first semester by the FSU College of Medicine School of Physician Assistant Practice’s Class of 2027.

The 60-member class was presented white coats, symbolizing professional competence and human compassion. The ceremonial event serves as a reminder to the students of their dedication to medical education and underscores the responsibilities inherent to the practice of medicine.

“Your white coat is not just a garment. It’s a symbol of trust, responsibility and compassion,” Associate Dean and Program Director Benjamin Smith, DMSC, PA-C, said. “It reminds us that patients are never just patients. They are mothers, fathers, children, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives and friends.”

Many of those in attendance fell into one of those categories, playing influential roles for the students who are five months into a 27-month educational pathway to providing access to care.

“Thank you all for joining us this evening and entrusting your future PA to us on this remarkable adventure,” said College of Medicine Dean, Alma Littles, M.D. “Your participation in this milestone is important to them, even though some may forget to express that directly. I know they are very happy you are here.”

The program’s ninth class was selected from a record 2,142 applicants, and its cumulative 3.76 undergraduate grade point average is the highest in program history; markers indicative of its growing stature.

Florida residents hold 55 spots in the class, including 15 from the Florida Panhandle. Each has a personal reason for choosing the path to becoming a PA, many of which are directly connected to family.

Royal Palm Beach native Nick Toney’s path to slipping on a white coat began in seventh grade when he joined his middle school medical academy at the encouragement of his single mother, Stacey Toney. “She said, ‘Just give it a try,’ and I fell in love with it.”

Toney, also an accomplished athlete, later joined the Royal Palm Beach High School medical program, where he discovered the physician assistant profession through a research assignment as a junior.

“I was lucky enough to get a scholarship at Florida Atlantic University for four years and still held that goal close to my heart,” said Toney, a multi-year starting catcher and senior team captain, who declined as free agent contract from the Cincinnati Reds to follow his true love.

He described his mother, who raised him while working as a receptionist, as “his rock” and someone who stressed the importance of academics from a very early age. “You can do all these other things, but you’ve got to make sure that your grades are good,” he recalled her saying. “That way, you can live the life that you want to live and not have to worry about money and be under a lot of financial stress.”

Toney’s mother and grandmother, Beverly Wilson, were in the audience when he slipped into his white coat for the first time.

“It’s a badge of honor,” Toney said. “More than what it means to me, too, it's just the university saying they think I can do this…They believe in me just as much as I believe in myself, and that means the world to me.”

Tallahassee native and Florida High graduate Cassidy Bonn chose to complete her undergraduate degree at the University of Central Florida before returning home to FSU’s PA program. It was neither an easy nor necessarily popular decision. Her mother, Alice Bonn, has been battling Parkinson’s disease – a driving force behind Cassidy’s pursuit of a career in medicine – and her grandmother, Alice Englert, was a celebrated graduate of Florida State Women’s College.

“Everyone always told me college is the time that you're really supposed to challenge yourself and grow,” Bonn said of her decision to attend UCF. “I knew I'd be comfortable if I stayed in Tallahassee and Florida State was such a great school. My grandma went here…Every time I came back from break, she was like ‘You can still transfer,’ but I always knew I wanted to be a Nole … When I got into the PA program it was like icing on the cake.”

Alice Englert’s wish came true when Bonn enrolled in August, one month after celebrating her grandmother’s 100th birthday. Englert passed away on Oct. 15, but Alice Bonn was on hand for the White Coat Ceremony, along with Cassidy’s boyfriend of four years, David Ethan Johnson, her FSU junior sister Savannah, her aunt and uncle Roger and Sybil Englert and nephew Tucker. Twin sister, also named Alice, is a research assistant at FAU and was unable to attend.

Cassidy’s comfort at FSU was confirmed during the interview process for a seat in the class, and cemented after a subsequent interview with another in-state PA program.
“Maybe it was like a God thing - it just felt like fate,” Bonn said. “I remember walking out after my interview and I felt a push, like I’m supposed to be here…Just meeting the faculty, too, they really seem like they want us to succeed. They made it clear that they want to make us quality physician assistants and I was really impacted by that.

“I just kept turning back to Florida State because I was so impressed after the interview with how dedicated they are to our success.”

From regular visits by Smith in advance of exams, to professors checking in regarding personal life and professor Tom Morgan making Sunday appearances to assist in the cadaver lab, the first five months have confirmed Bonn’s initial perception.

“The White Coat Ceremony shows that we can do hard things and we’ve already accomplished great things, so there’s no more ‘What if?’ … This is a reminder of what we have accomplished and what we will accomplish.”

Melanie Orta was beaming with pride and waving to her parents after Smith asked the students to acknowledge those in Friday’s crowd who had been instrumental in their lives.

The youngest daughter of Manuel and Yeliany - Cuban and Colombian immigrants, respectively – Orta was raised in Miami Lakes-Hialeah and was well aware of the limited access to health care for those in her close-knit community. 

“My dad is very patriotic and always instilled that patriotism in us, so he was always pushing me to join the military,” Orta said. “Then my sister joined the Air Force and just watching everything that she was accomplishing inspired me, so I joined the Air Force at 17 years old.”

After graduating in the top 5% of her Goleman High School class, Orta hoped to pursue medicine in the Air Force, but there were no medical positions available at the time of her enlistment. She was, however, introduced to the PA profession during basic training – “that was the first time I’d ever heard of a PA” – but trained as an aircraft maintenance analyst, where she held multiple leadership positions.

Those leadership skills served Orta well when she enrolled at FSU in 2021 as an exercise physiology major and an Air Force Reserve member. She immediately joined the FSU Student Veterans Center, where she met military veteran and College of Medicine Assistant Professor Allison Justice, PA-C, who also served as advisor to the pre-PA program.

“At that point, I looked at her (Justice) as a role model and a mentor, because there was a lot that I didn't know and she was there anytime I had any questions,” Orta said. “She would always be there to guide me…

“Seeing the way she carries herself, not just schooling but making sure that we're focusing on wellness ourselves, really inspired me and I would like to be a PA like her.”

Orta completed her Air Force Reserves service commitment in November, but hopes to return as a commissioned officer when she graduates from the PA program. Friday’s ceremony marked the next step in her goal to bridge the gap between medicine and service to those who serve our country in the military.

“I love serving others. I love caring for others,” she said. “Before, I was in a camouflage uniform. Now it's in a white coat, being able to use the empathy, compassion and integrity that my background has given me and making sure that they're living healthy lives and bettering their lives.”

Those types of encounters were central to the address Millie Minor, PA-C (Class of ’20) delivered to the PA students and their families and friends on hand. She shared advice ranging from the importance of building a support system of mentors, peers and loved ones, diving into each clinical rotation subject with conviction, and regularly asking for constructive feedback.

“Finally, learn from your patients,” Minor said, in closing. “Textbooks and lectures are essential to learning medicine, but patients teach you lessons no classroom can. Listen to their stories, respect their perspectives and let their experiences shape your practice.

“Some of my most cherished interactions with patients have come from offering compassion and human connection, not just providing a diagnosis and treatment. Your patients, and you, will likely remember those interactions forever.”