“One of the greatest values of mentors is the ability to see ahead what others cannot see and to help them navigate a course to their destination” [John C. Maxwell].
I was lucky enough to have been assigned the best mentor and advisor a PA student could ask for. Over the past two years, Dr. Cohen has touched the lives of each one of my classmates and has been instrumental in helping us navigate the way to our professional destination which officially begins December 2017.
A great mentor isn’t someone who holds your hand every step of the way. Great mentors are the people who give you all the tools you need to succeed and then let you take the lead. This is what Dr. Cohen has done and continues to do for me and many of my peers. He believes in all of us, probably even more so than we believe in ourselves at times.
Being the inaugural PA class of a medical school has its ups and downs, but the journey has been made much smoother by the hard work and dedication of this man. He is the one who taught us that it is better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission, at least when it came to setting the pace for future classes within our program. It is because of his guidance during the job application process and the creation of my CV that I felt I could stand out and find a position in a specialty that I’m thrilled to start after graduation.
Throughout these past two years Dr. Cohen has helped us become successful PA students and now soon-to-be providers but he’s also had tremendous success of his own throughout his career. Here’s a quick compilation of his achievements, which by no means encompasses all that he has accomplished: he is both a PA and a medical doctor, he has been an associate professor for two PA programs, an active member and leader of the Florida Association of Physician Assistants, and current clinical director of my program.
The opportunity to work in collaboration with him has presented itself in many ways. He was my advisor during the creation of my thesis and I also collaborated with him regularly as vice-president of my class. He is a gift to the PA profession and we are very lucky to have him in our community.
About the author:
Demi Soulet PA-S is currently a 2nd year PA student in Miami, FL with a background in exercise science and work experience in cardiology and dermatology. Outside of medicine, Demi enjoys health, fitness and traveling! As the current vice-president of the Florida International University College of Medicine's inaugural PA class of 2017, Demi has demonstrated great leadership as a woman in medicine. Follow Demi on Instagram.
