After years of planning and preparation, Brenau University’s new Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program officially launched Jan. 11 as students began classes in the recently renovated Brenau Downtown Center.

The latest addition to the Ivester College of Health Sciences’ slate of graduate degree offerings features an inaugural cohort of 33 students from all over the country as well as from right here in Georgia. The 28-month program received nearly 500 applications in its first year.

The first day included a lecture on telemedicine, which has been included in the curriculum due to COVID-19, and a tour of the physician assistant area in the Downtown Center.

“Having the students here is so exciting because that’s what we’re all here for,” says Julie Keena, chair of the PA program. “It’s kind of the culmination of the 18 months that I’ve been here, all of the planning and work we’ve done. We hadn’t met several of the students in person because we did virtual interviews, so it has been fantastic to finally get to meet them.”