Acevedo | PACE UNIVERSITY
From Finance to the Field of Medicine
Dan Acevedo '10
Physician Assistant Studies Program
College of Health Professions
NYC Campus
“In high school I had multiple knee injuries and knee surgery. Having to understand my diagnosis as a teen and my role as a patient as well as the role of the provider piqued my interest in medicine and health care. I wanted to be the one giving the patient hope,” says Pace Physician Assistant Program alumnus Dan Acevedo.
Acevedo completed a clinical rotation in orthopedics. He says Pace prepared him for his role in a competitive environment. “After the PA program at Pace, students go into high functioning medical practices, right out of school,” he says. In fact, he was able to secure a job during his clinical rotation, well before he graduated.
His advice to current students is this: “Being a health care provider is a long road. The field is always evolving, so be prepared to be constantly learning and never resting. Graduating is not the end; it’s just the first step.”
Acevedo found that his peers were always curious and yearning for knowledge. In addition, the students he completed the PA program with had integrity and honesty, two of the key attributes of good providers, according to Acevedo. “Integrity and good character trump talent,” he says.
Acevedo is proud of his New York roots. He went to Xavier High School and did his pre-PA courses at Borough of Manhattan Community College. He has been back to both schools to speak about the profession. His aim is to get young students interested in basic medical knowledge and the PA profession. He also teaches at Pace, providing orthopedic surgery lectures.
He chose Pace as his school because of the high PANCE licensure exam pass rates, the affiliation with Lenox Hill Hospital, and the location.
“Many of my peers are already chief PAs in their departments. This reflects on the caliber of the program at Pace that teaches character, leadership, and knowledge. It’s up to me and the rest of the alumni who went through the program to maintain its excellent reputation,” he says.

Dan
Acevedo
"Many of my peers are already chief PAs in their departments. This reflects on the caliber of the program at Pace that teaches character, leadership, and knowledge."
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Boustany JostFilm, Television, Voice-overs, and Commercials (FTVC) student Noura Boustany Jost ’18 is well on her way to becoming a force in the motion picture business. After just two years at Pace, she’s already produced, written, directed, and starred in her own Screen Actors Guild (SAG)-approved film.
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Shirley
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Jacqueline
Kelleher"I chose to study abroad to immerse myself in a place that is unfamiliar to me, to reflect on my education in America, and to see what other institutions have to offer. Receiving the Gilman Scholarship is a true blessing and I can’t wait to share my experience with my fellow Pace students."