NEWS RELEASE Contact:Jennifer Gaskins 704-233-8117

Director of Marketing and Communicationsjgaskins@wingate.edu

Oct. 19, 2007

Wingate University to offer physicians assistant program

Wingate, N.C. – Wingate University is taking another step into allied health by offering a

master’s program in physician assistant studies (MPAS) in August 2008 on the main campus in

Wingate, N.C. It is currently preparing for provisional accreditation which is the first step in

developing a physician assistant program.

The university has hired Gary Uremovich, MS, MPAS, PA-C as the founding director of

the program and Dr. Susan Lester as the medical director. Other core faculty include Michael

Whitehead, DHSc, PA-C as the clinical coordinator and Rosalind Becker, MS, PA-C as the

academic coordinator. Area physicians and physician assistants (PAs) are actively involved in the

creation of this exciting new program.

The 27-month program will prepare students for one of the top ten fastest growing

professions in the United States. PAs are licensed to practice medicine under the supervision of a

physician. They work in clinics, emergency rooms and hospitals performing examinations, assist

in the operating room and perform minor surgery. The number of jobs for PAs nationwide is

expected to increase by 50 percent by 2014.

“It is our desire to educate graduates who will become leaders in the healthcare

community and provide excellent care for their patients,” said Wingate University President Jerry

E. McGee.

Wingate University will be the fifth PA program offered in the state and the only

university that also has a School of Pharmacy. “After our needs assessment was completed and

we had gathered advice from local PAs, we determined this program was a good fit for Wingate

University as well as for the area,” said McGee. “We anticipate this program will offer great

opportunities for healthcare professionals as well as recent college graduates.”

The program is also expected to generate interest among Wingate University’s current

undergraduate students. Wingate University students who meet all of the admission requirements

and complete a successful interview will be granted a spot in the MPAS program.

Candidates will be required to have a minimum of 500 hours of direct patient contact

which may be obtained through a wide range of paid or volunteer experiences. “In keeping with

the university’s mission, the PA program at Wingate University will seek to instill in its students

our core values of faith, knowledge and service while focusing on learner-centered education,”

said McGee.

The program is designed to be highly interactive with small classes and learner-centered

teaching. The university has applied for provisional accreditation and will begin accepting

applications in the spring. “We are looking forward to filling our inaugural class, hiring faculty

and finding clinical rotation sites as we plan for our first class,” said McGee.

For more information about the PA program please visit www.pa.wingate.edu, call 704-

233-8051 or e-mail pa@wingate.edu.

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private four-year co-educational

institution of 2,041 students offering active learning opportunities through personalized

instruction, world travel, faith nurturing, career discovery and community service. Wingate offers

more than 37 undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, business, education, fine arts, music, and

sports sciences. It also offers pre-professional programs and graduate degrees in business,

education and the doctor of pharmacy degree. Wingate student-athletes compete in 17 NCAA

Division II sports.

-end-

www.wingate.edu

The Wingate University Board of Trustees voted last Thursday to pursue a plan to expand

opportunities in healthcare education by creating a College of Health Sciences by (date) (or say

“over the next X years”). The board authorized Wingate University President Dr. Jerry E.

McGee to search for a site along the I-485 corridor that would allow students and faculty

participating in such programs easy access to clinical locations throughout the region.

Only the College of Health Sciences is being considered for an off-campus site. The

Wingate University undergraduate campus will remain at its original location in Wingate, North

Carolina, where classes have been held since 1896.

The university is expected to invest more than $16 million in the College of Health

Sciences campus and its advanced degree programs. One of the most visible and successful

programs offered would be the current Wingate University School of Pharmacy doctorate

program, which is entering its fifth year with 255 students.

In addition, a new master’s program in physician assistant (PA) studies slated to start on

the main campus in fall 2008 would eventually be located at the new College of Health Sciences.

“Our needs assessment for the PA program revealed the region’s critical need for more

trained health personnel,” said McGee. “A shortage of health-care professionals exists in

administration, occupational and physical therapy, psychology, optometry plus many more areas.

Over the coming months, we will explore these and other options that provide the best fit for the

university’s new college and the region we serve.”

The physician assistant (P.A.) program is among the top ten fastest growing professions

in the nation. Wingate University is the only North Carolina institution to offer both a School of

Pharmacy and a PA program, thereby providing a direct benefit in the area of pharmacology.

“It is our desire to educate graduates who will become leaders in the healthcare

community and excellent care for their patients,” said McGee. “A college devoted solely for this

purpose with all programs under one roof, creates the ideal learning environment.”

For more information about the PA program please visit www.PA.wingate.edu or for

information about the school of pharmacy please visit www.pharmacy.wingate.edu.

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private four-year co-educational institution

offering students active learning opportunities through personalized instruction, world travel,

faith development, and career discovery and community service. Wingate offers more than 35

undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, business, education, fine arts, music and sport

sciences. It also offers pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, education and the

doctor of pharmacy degree. In addition to academics, Wingate student-athletes compete in 17

NCAA Division II sports.

-end-

www.wingate.edu