by Sara Wallace, Physician Assistant Institute, University of Bridgeport
On June 4, 2022, two teams of University of Bridgeport students from the 2023 and 2024 cohorts competed in the Connecticut Academy of Physician Assistants (ConnAPA) Student Day Challenge Bowl at Sacred Heart University. Both teams performed extremely well, and one took home the Challenge Bowl Champion’s Cup.
Members of the winning team include Bryce Templeman (2023), Brittany Goncalves (2023), Juliana Garofalo (2024), and Stephanie Pineiro (2024). The other UB team included Casey Metz (2023), Raquel Delgadillo (2023), Rachel Harris (2023), and Nick Tuttle (2024), and they made an impressive showing as well. More than 40 UB fans cheered on the teams as they answered many challenging questions with topics including those hypersensitivity reactions, anatomy and physical exam findings, infectious diseases, and pharmacology.
Earlier in May, three team members also competed at the National Challenge Bowl at the AAPA conference in Indianapolis. Cohort 2023 students Casey Metz, Brittany Goncalves, and Lily Wray represented UB on the national stage. Challenge Bowl faculty advisor Sara Wallace and program director Lauren Weindling watched proudly as the students displayed their impressive knowledge at both the national and state competitions. “They have worked so hard, practicing for months, on top of their usual coursework and clinical loads,” says Wallace. “I’m very proud of the entire team, and so happy for them that their dedication resulted in an exciting win.”
And the excitement of the competitions isn’t over yet. UB students are already discussing plans for the 2024 National and State Challenge Bowls. We’ll be there to cheer them on.
Learn more about the Physician Assistant program at UB.