‘A perfect fit’
Shenika Paul, M.S. ’25, and Jeffrey Paul, M.S. ’20, succeed with UF medical physiology and pharmacology program
The Pauls at graduation.
Courtesy of Shenika Paul, M.S. '25
Dec. 11, 2025 — For husband and wife Shenika and Jeffrey Paul, finding an online master’s program with both a world-class curriculum and the flexibility to meet their needs was crucial. It had to be rigorous, something that could help them advance their careers and scientific expertise. But it also needed to seamlessly integrate with a full schedule balancing raising their four children while working full-time as a night-shift registered nurse and a middle school science teacher in Palm Beach County.
The University of Florida College of Medicine online master’s degree in medical physiology and pharmacology was the answer.
“It was a perfect fit,” said Shenika, M.S. ’25. “You can go at your own pace. It was very flexible, and it allowed us to succeed.”
Peter Sayeski, Ph.D.
Created in 2020 as a collaboration between the UF College of Medicine Department of Physiology and Aging and Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, the program is an affordable and asynchronous option designed to support nontraditional students in advancing their careers. It can be completed for about $17,000 — far less than similar programs that cost upward of $100,000, said Peter Sayeski, Ph.D., a UF College of Medicine professor and director of educational programs for the Department of Physiology and Aging. The program’s flexibility is intentional so that anyone can succeed, including parents like the Pauls, U.S. military members serving overseas and first responders with nonstop work demands.
Stephan C. Jahn, Ph.D.
“Many of our students are looking to improve their applications to professional and graduate programs,” said co-director Stephan C. Jahn, Ph.D., who also serves as director of distance learning programs for the Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics. “We’ve also had students use their degrees to help them land jobs or promotions in fields including research management, clinical trial management, lab research, pharmaceutical sales and patent law, as well as education — from those looking to join the faculty at community colleges to those interested in teaching middle and high school science.”
This December, the program celebrates a milestone at UF commencement: reaching and surpassing 500 graduates.
“It is a vehicle that has increased the professional trajectories for many of our students,” Sayeski said. “That is very gratifying to see.”
After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in biology from Barry University in 2007, Shenika transitioned to the nursing field, working as a registered nurse in oncology for 10 years before earning a second bachelor’s degree in nursing from UF in 2019 and moving to intensive care during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. She is working to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, or CRNA, a type of advanced practice nurse who provides anesthesia across all patient populations, from neonatal to geriatrics. In preparation for the highly competitive application cycle and to show she could succeed at the graduate level, Shenika decided to pursue the medical physiology and pharmacology master’s program at UF, becoming a double Gator. And she loved it so much, she convinced her husband to enroll as well.
“It’s the way to go,” Jeffrey said. “It’s not just for students. Professionals can use this degree as well.”
Looking to join his wife in the medical field, Jeffrey spends his days teaching the next generation of scientists in his South Florida classroom and his weekends building his own scientific expertise in the College of Medicine’s virtual classroom. He is on track to graduate in 2026 as a triple Gator, after previously earning a bachelor’s degree of communication sciences and disorders at UF in 2006 and a master’s degree in microbiology and cell science in 2020.
Education is a way of life in the Pauls’ household and something they strive to model for their kids. More often than not, you can find them doing homework together as a family.
“We’re always telling them to never stop learning,” Shenika said. “Don’t stay stagnant. Don’t settle.”
