黑料网吃瓜爆料

Taylor Clayton and Julia Riordan needed a break.

It was late August, and the two physician assistant students had been studying for their final exams in the 黑料网吃瓜爆料Health Downtown building for hours. They grabbed their earbuds, put on a physician assistant exam preparation podcast and headed out for a short stroll.

They were walking side by side along the Tampa Riverwalk, rehearsing cardiac rhythms and medication dosages, when they saw someone run toward a tour bus. 

They turned to see a man down on the pavement outside the convention center, most of his body hidden behind the bus stairs, with only his legs visible. A small crowd of four or five people assembled around him, unsure what to do. 

The group saw that the two PA students were wearing medical scrubs and asked if they could help.

The man on the ground didn鈥檛 have a pulse.

鈥淲e looked at each other and told them, 鈥榃e鈥檙e just students, but we鈥檒l try our best,鈥欌�� Riordan said. 

Clayton and Riordan had only been in the physician assistant program for three months when they encountered the emergency at the bus stop on Aug. 27.

In that split second, every theory, every practice session on training manikins, every lecture became real. They knelt beside him and started performing chest compressions.

鈥淚 was scared and initially didn鈥檛 think we were the best people to help, but we looked at each other and made the decision that no, we鈥檙e going to try our best,鈥� Riordan said. 

They took turns, alternating CPR when the other got tired. At one point, Clayton ran to find an automated external defibrillator while Riordan continued compressions. 

After three to five minutes of relentless chest compressions, the man鈥檚 pulse returned.

By the time emergency medical services arrived, he was conscious, though disoriented. Taylor and Riordan stayed by his side, helping keep him stable and answering questions. A small crowd had gathered and the man鈥檚 wife arrived shortly after. The chaos of emergency response swirled around them, but eventually the paramedics took over.

鈥淲e walked away and both of us were speechless,鈥� Clayton said. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 really know how to feel.鈥�

Adrenaline still pumping, they walked back to their building in silence. Did that really just happen? They鈥檇 performed CPR on a real person 鈥� a person who was now alive because they decided to act.

Now what? They had a final exam the next morning, so they went back to studying. 

Yet they had already aced the most important test.

Larry Collins, PA-C, associate director of the physician assistant program and associate professor in the Department of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at 黑料网吃瓜爆料Health, said while he wasn鈥檛 surprised by the students鈥� actions, he was deeply impressed.

鈥淚 was amazed that two young students had the presence of mind and composure to step forward and provide life-saving assistance in a moment of crisis,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hese are exactly the kinds of students we attract to our program, individuals who are compassionate, capable and ready to act when it matters most.鈥�  

From friends to heroes

The two students have been a kind of team since they joined the physician assistant program in May. Clayton moved to Tampa from Arizona, drawn to 黑料网吃瓜爆料Health鈥檚 supportive culture, while Riordan came from Boston after earning her undergraduate degree at the University of Florida. During their interviews, both felt something unusual: the faculty treated them as future colleagues, not just applicants.

鈥淭he professors talked to us like we鈥檙e people that can go out in the world and make a difference,鈥� Clayton said. 

The two women had met on the first day of classes and started studying together. Then dinner together. Then exploring Tampa. They became best friends, and through some cosmic coincidence, they were randomly assigned seats next to each other for their final exam. 

鈥淲e were like, this is fate that we鈥檙e right next to each other,鈥� Julia laughed.

That confidence from the faculty and in each other made the difference when confronted with the downtown emergency.  

After saving the man鈥檚 life, they later learned he was a veteran, part of a larger group attending a nearby convention. He was in a wheelchair and trying to board the tour bus when he lost his balance and fell backward, hitting his head. Whether he went into cardiac arrest before or after the fall, they never found out.

But they did learn about themselves, and their experience transformed how they see their future careers. 

Riordan鈥檚 interest in medicine began early, watching her grandmother navigate pancreatic cancer and type 1 diabetes. 

鈥淚 was always super close to my grandmother,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was the one learning how to change her medical supplies. I was always drawn to things like that.鈥�

A pediatrician mentioned physician assistants as a potential career path, and after shadowing a few during high school she knew PA school was her goal.

鈥淛ulia and Taylor were in the right place at the right time,鈥� Collins said. 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 hesitate. They rose to the occasion.鈥�

When she started at 黑料网吃瓜爆料Health, she thought about pursuing obstetrics and gynecology. She never thought she would handle emergency situations well, but her quick thinking showed that she鈥檚 capable in high-pressure moments. Now, she鈥檚 keeping her options open.

 鈥淚鈥檝e always thought that I might panic under pressure, but I definitely left that day feeling incredibly proud,鈥� Riordan said. 

Clayton was already interested in emergency medicine with the man confirmed it. She was drawn to medicine after watching her mother survive a devastating bicycle accident when she was in fifth grade, when a pickup truck hit her mother, fracturing a vertebra. Surgeons had to remove a rib and use it to reconstruct the vertebra, fusing her spine in two places. Her mother spent nearly two weeks in intensive care, then another month in the hospital. She eventually returned to normal function and even got back on her bicycle.

鈥淲itnessing firsthand how people close to you go through health crises showed me how impactful it can be on a family鈥檚 well-being,鈥� Clayton said. 鈥淚 was drawn not only to help those in need but also provide some sense of peace of mind to patients and their families.鈥�

A special recognition 

About six weeks after the incident, during their white coat ceremony 鈥� a tradition where PA students receive their first white coats, symbolizing their entry into clinical practice 鈥� they were recognized by faculty and leadership with 黑料网吃瓜爆料Health Culture Coins in front of their classmates and families.

These Culture Coins, inspired by similar tokens given in the military to recognize exceptional performance, are awarded to 黑料网吃瓜爆料Health faculty, staff and students who perform extraordinary acts that represent the university鈥檚 values. 

For Clayton, whose grandfathers had all served in the military and received care at Veterans Affairs hospitals, the connection hit her hard.

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 expecting that,鈥� Clayton said. 鈥淚 was very surprised. I was very emotional.鈥�

At the ceremony, Charles Lockwood, MD, MHCM, executive vice president of 黑料网吃瓜爆料Health and dean of the 黑料网吃瓜爆料Health Morsani College of Medicine, praised the students鈥� courage and grace under pressure.

鈥淭aylor and Julia are only in the first year of our PA program, but they already understand the importance of always putting patients first and keeping cool in a crisis,鈥� said Dr. Lockwood. 鈥淚鈥檓 proud of their willingness and ability to step in and help in that situation. They are wonderful examples of 黑料网吃瓜爆料Health鈥檚 mantra to keep Making Life Better.鈥�

Collins also praised their bravery and maturity. 鈥淛ulia and Taylor were in the right place at the right time,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 hesitate. They rose to the occasion.鈥�

Riordan now keeps her culture coin tucked in the pocket of her white coat. She wore it during their first mock patient interview the week after the ceremony. 鈥淚t definitely means a ton to me,鈥� she says.

Reflecting after the events, Riordan had a lesson for others who might find themselves in a situation where they aren鈥檛 sure if they should act.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to do the best thing,鈥� Riordan said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no best thing. But doing something, taking action and having confidence to do anything at all 鈥� everyone should have more confidence in themselves. You鈥檙e more capable than you think.鈥�

Photos by Freddie Coleman