Three Elon University Physician Assistant Studies students — Mike McCormack G 25, Devron Felder G 25 and Samir Halalou G 25 — say the friendship they built as roommates is helping them complete a demanding 24-month program that will culminate with graduation on Dec. 12, 2025. National data show that PA program completions have grown substantially over the past decade, reflecting a broader shift towards such careers.

The trio, who call themselves the “Room Dogs,” met early in the program and quickly formed a household and study routine that they credit with sustaining them through heavy coursework and clinical rotations. With applications to PA programs on the rise in recent years, their story is part of a human-interest profile published by Elon University News that highlights how peer support shaped their time in the Physician Assistant Studies curriculum.

The three first connected in October 2023, when McCormack posted on a Facebook page for the PA studies cohort and arranged to meet roommates and classmates. That initial outreach led to a series of small moments that built trust — a road trip in which Halalou realized McCormack was playing Fella Cuti, a popular Nigerian artist, and long hours spent quizzing one another before exams, which they felt helped strengthen their relationships and supported their success in the program.

The students describe their bond as practical as well as emotional: shared study sessions, rotating responsibilities around the apartment, and the regular give-and-take of roommates juggling clinics and night study. “We really complemented each other. I’m thankful for Samir and Dev for pushing me out of my shell and having me go out more. It was a fun experience, and I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s friends we’ll have for life,” Mike McCormack said. This supportive network not only enhanced their engagement and learning outcomes but also contributed to their professional identities as future healthcare providers.

Halalou framed the experience in terms of belonging. “You see all your friends and classmates and ask yourself, ‘Do you even deserve to be here?” I would say yes, I deserve to be here. And Elon has exceeded my expectations,” he said. Felder summed up their approach to training succinctly: “I liked the team approach to medicine. It’s one team, one fight. That’s always appealed to me.” These sentiments align with the program’s goal of preparing graduates for roles as licensed physician assistants in various medical settings.

The students say the nickname “Room Dogs” began as a joke and stuck as a shorthand for the household’s close-knit dynamic. They credit that atmosphere with helping them persist when the program intensified and clinical obligations mounted.

Their experience unfolded inside Elon University’s Physician Assistant Studies program, which the university has promoted through student profiles and program updates. The profile of the three classmates appears on the university’s site and places their personal story alongside the program’s broader narrative about community and support within professional training.

As their cohort approaches the formal completion date of Dec. 12, 2025, the three say they expect to carry the habits and friendship formed in the apartment into their clinical careers and personal lives. They pointed to late-night study sessions and shared commutes between rotations as the routine that made the difference when exams and evaluations loomed. Such camaraderie exemplifies how small households can serve as vital support systems through an intense professional program.

Their story illustrates how a small household of students can function as a learning and emotional support system through an intense professional program. Campus profiles like this one emphasize the social and practical structures that students say help them succeed.

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Original reporting: view the original article.