Health Care Graduates Achieve Outstanding National and State Exams Pass Rates

SPC’s rigorous training for students in health care has resulted in outstanding pass rates on national and state exams.

St. Petersburg College health care graduates play huge roles in Pinellas County and beyond, owing part of their success to the outstanding training they get at the College. In 2023 and 2024, 100% of students in the Physical Therapist Assistant Associate in Science program passed their national licensing exam. Students in both the Dental Hygiene and Radiography Associate in Science programs did the same in 2024.

“I want to thank the faculty for their hard work in making sure our students continue to shine and be the top performers that they are,” said SPC President Dr. Tonjua Williams.

Radiography Program

Aaron Swartz

For Aaron Swartz, the camaraderie and small classes he found in SPC’s Radiography program has motivated him to excel.

“I’ve gotten to know my classmates really well,” said Swartz, who will graduate next fall with his Associate in Science in Radiography and currently works at Morton Plant Hospital. “We’re all positive and try to support each other to do the best we can. Since the classes are small, every student receives a lot of attention from the professors. They work very hard so that we are prepared for careers.”

Radiographers operate scanning machines to produce high-quality images that aid physicians in the diagnosis of patient conditions. For the past three years, 100% of the graduates of the Radiography program have passed the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists examination. All graduates between 2014 and 2021 were placed in their careers or were continuing their education.

Radiography Program Director John Fleming credits his adept faculty for making students aware of changes in the medical imaging field. “If you sit still, the medical field will pass you by,” Fleming said. “Our success revolves around our program faculty who stay current and on top of changes. That makes all the difference.”

Alumnus and radiographer Chris Mascia, who works at Morton Plant Hospital, enjoys the variety of his job and how well SPC prepared him for it. “Not a lot of people realize the scope of our field,” said Mascia, who graduated last year. “Everyone who comes into a hospital gets some type of imaging exam. We are the eyes of the doctor to see what’s going on internally with a patient.”

Physical Therapist Assistant Program

SPC has been training physical therapist assistants since 1968, when its Associate in Science program became one of the first in Florida and the third in the country at the time. Graduates help patients with minor injuries improve their movement and manage pain under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist. All of them passed their national certification exam in 2023 and 2024.

Rolando Carrillo

Program Director Kory Thomas said students are drawn to SPC’s program for its faculty, success metrics like exam pass and career placement rates, and robust clinical partnerships. Partners with a long-working relationship with SPC include Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater, St. Anthony’s Hospital, Mease Countryside Hospital, the Pinellas County School Board, Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Largo, Oak Manor Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center, Moffitt Cancer Center, James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, AdventHealth Tampa, Tampa General Hospital and Select Physical Therapy.

“We owe our program’s success to our consistently low turnover in faculty and staff, which has helped provide consistency for students,” Thomas said. “You don’t really find that in our field.”

Alumnus Rolando Carrillo, who works at St. Anthony’s Rehabilitation Center, credits SPC with giving him experience that has shaped his career aspirations.

“The program’s comprehensive curriculum and the incredible passion each professor conveys have equipped me with both the practical skills and theoretical knowledge essential for success in the medical field,” Carrillo said. “The combination of rigorous training and enthusiastic mentorship has set us apart as clinicians, preparing us to make a significant impact in our profession.”

Dental Hygiene Program

SPC began its Associate in Science in Dental Hygiene degree in 1963, when it became the Mary R. Grizzle Dental Hygiene Program. While graduates have always excelled at their state and national licensing exams, this year marks the first time in two decades that 100% passed both their clinical and written national boards.

Maxwell Hickman

“We make sure our students are the best prepared they can be,” said Dental Hygiene Program Director Barbara Mulholland. “Every year, as our graduates cross the stage, I know I would send my family members to any one of them.”

For Maxwell Effertz, earning her Associate in Science degree from SPC made her dream job possible. “I love helping my patients feel confident and good about themselves,” said Effertz, who is the first in her family to finish college. “It’s so rewarding to get to know my patients and treat their families.”

Effertz discovered dental hygiene when she was tending bar and some of her regulars, who owned a dental practice, encouraged her to pursue the field. Now that she’s had a “wonderful chance to practice clinically” she is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene at SPC. “I’ll be able to grow into other areas, like sales, research and teaching so if I wanted to come back to SPC, I can help other students train for their dream jobs as well.”

SPC launched its Bachelor of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene 20 years ago for hygienists to expand their career opportunities such as practice management. It remains the only bachelor’s degree in Dental Hygiene in the state and is offered completely online.