Breast Cancer Awareness Month: NSU PA-C Alumna Dedicates Career To Honoring Mother’s Legacy

 In honor of October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Beth Boyer ‘11, graduate of NSU Jacksonville’s Physician’s Assistant program, shares her personal story and motivation for her career – her mom.

 Life is filled with many hardships, but often, these hardships are the defining moments of perseverance and resiliency. In Beth Boyer’s case, watching her mother battle breast cancer defined her purpose and motivation to become the person she is today.

After always having a fascination for the medical industry, Boyer was influenced by her mother to take a leap of faith into the world of medicine. Her mother earned her Ph.D. at the University of Florida and told Boyer, who was working in advertising at the time, that in order to be satisfied with her career she needed to further her education.

Despite Boyer being afraid of failure and making a dynamic change in her career, her mom pushed her to apply to medical school because she told her it was never too late to make a change. After applying to NSU and UF, Boyer chose NSU because the regional campus in Jacksonville was closer to family.

As Boyer began studying for her Master’s in Medical Science, she received the news that her mother was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.

Being in the health field, Boyer was able utilize her knowledge to help translate medical documents and understand terminology during her mom’s cancer treatments. She also leaned on a support network of family, friends, and NSU peers in her program.

“While studying a medical career, everyone around me understood how my mom’s journey was impacting my journey. They understood the weight of it emotionally, and I had a lot of support from the students and professors,” expressed Boyer.

During her mother’s battle with cancer, Boyer remembers that her mother remained strong and encouraged her to continue her studies.

“My mom promised if I went to PA school in Jacksonville that she would make it to my graduation,” said Boyer.  “She made it, but a week after, she ended up having a seizure. They found that the cancer had spread to her brain.”

Months after Boyer had graduated from NSU in 2011, her mother passed away in December.

Initially, Boyer didn’t want to make such a radical change when deciding to pursue a degree as a Physician’s Assistant, but her mother ultimately influenced her to change her path.  Boyer is proud to honor her mother’s memory by continuing her career in the medical and patient care field. She now works as a Physician Assistant in Hematology/Oncology at the Jacoby Center for Breast Health at Mayo Clinic Florida.

Boyer’s mother was a huge inspiration for her. Being by her mom’s side during treatments allowed her to become empathetic toward her patients who may also feel scared, frustrated, and out of control.

“As a PA, we have time to sit with our patients and break it down,” added Boyer, “Most patients just want to feel like they have control over something when they have cancer. They feel more comfortable with what’s going when they have someone to open up to. Validating and acknowledging their feelings is incredibly important.”

Boyer’s biggest takeaway from her time at NSU was learning about research as well as learning to be uncomfortable in what she was doing because change was inevitable.

“I learned so much from PA school, especially how to research independently. I’ve been successful because I know how to do it myself since it was part of my education. Meanwhile, from an emotional standpoint, I see what patients are going through, and I’m going to treat them like family – like they’re my mom,” said Boyer.

Boyer’s advice to current students is to follow the same guidance that her mom gave her about making a change because it’s never too late.

“It’s humbling to not know anything. After PA school, the biggest reward is learning from the people around you. Don’t be afraid, yet be challenged. Always continue learning because medicine changes so much; time changes your perspective and you should be constantly learning,” claimed Boyer.

With October being Breast Cancer Awareness month, Boyer shares the importance of awareness because it promotes representation for the patients, medical affiliates, and research in the medical industry

“It’s about supporting the women during the process. Acknowledging their feelings is important, while also giving them the tools they need to access – like counselors and encouraging a healthy lifestyle,” she concludes.