The inaugural class of students in a new medical training program, coming from the Central Coast and beyond, assembled for the first time Monday in Santa Maria.
A.T. Still University and local leaders gathered for the opening ceremony of the Central Coast Physician Assistant program with the first 90 students for the 24-month program.
“There is nobody here that is happier that you’re here than me,” said Ted Wendel, interim dean of CCPA and senior vice president of university planning and strategic initiatives.
“This has a been a dream…for a long time,” Wendel said, noting the efforts have spanned at least two years — plus a pandemic — to bring the concept of a West Coast program to reality, and admitting he was bit emotional at Monday’s milestone.
He recalled ATSU officials looking at areas in Northern and Southern California, but decided “the environment wasn’t right.”
They eventually decided upon Santa Maria as the home for the future program, praising representatives from the city of Santa Maria and the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce.
“ATSU is proud to welcome the Central Coast Physician Assistant program’s inaugural class, and is thankful for the many individual and organizations making today possible,” said ATSU President Craig Phelps, who graduated from the osteopathic medicine doctorate program in 1984.
CCPA’s location in Santa Maria achieves a long-time goal to bring a higher-education program to Santa Maria.
“This is very cool,” City Manager Jason Stilwell said. “We’re very proud.”
The program sits on the second story of the CoastHills Credit Union headquarters building on East Betteravia Road near Highway 101.
Wendel also noted the medical community, including Community Health Centers of the Central Coast, Marian Regional Medical Center and Lompoc Valley Medical Center, that helped the new program, provided valuable assistance as ATSU sought accreditation.
Of the 90 students making up the class of 2023, 68% come from the West Coast — seven from Santa Barbara County and 10 from San Luis Obispo County — instructor Corey Cooper said.
Additionally, 76% of the students identify as female, and most are in their 20s and 30s, he added.
Nearly two-thirds of the students identify as non-white, with members declaring 27 different racial or ethnic identities.
Many have backgrounds in healthcare working in various jobs as scribes, emergency medical technicians or medical assistants.
More than 350 applications were submitted for slots in the first class, with many ending up on a waiting list.
The Central Coast Physician Assistant Program joined medical training programs in Missouri, where ATSU was founded in 1892, and Arizona.
“You’re joining a university. You’re not just joining a PA program in Santa Maria,” Wendel said, adding they are among 3,800 other students at the three campuses plus community health centers around the nation.
Students will spend the first 12 months in Santa Maria, with interactive learning, projects, and pre-clinical community experiences, and their final 12 months receiving student clinical experience at 20 facilities affiliated with the National Association of Community Health Centers.
He promised CCPA won’t be a traditional program as they work toward earning a master of science in physician assistant studies.
“You’re going to learn to work as a team because teamwork is the key to quality, affordable, accessible health care,” Wendel said. “You’re going to be involved in an innovative curriculum. Very few times will anybody stand on a stage like this — by the way, it’s rented, it won’t be here next week — and tell you what you need to know.
“You’re going to discover what you need to know. You’re going to learn rather than have somebody tell you what you need to know,” he said, adding the students will apply lessons in giving care to people at Community Health Centers.
This week will serve as an orientation, with special events planned, Wendel added.
“Next Monday we start the journey to graduation,” Wendel said. “I look forward to the day when I get to shake your hand as you walk across the stage.”
Enrollment for the second class has started, with information, prerequisites and more about the CCPA available here.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.