GWU Physician Assistant alumna provides medical care in underserved community

“The professors truly care about you, your wellbeing and your future. They will challenge you beyond what you thought possible. They will be there for you when you are struggling and will also celebrate your accomplishments with you.”

The �۶�ֱ�� University Physician Assistant (PA) Studies program launched in 2014 with a mission to provide care to medically underserved people. Sarah McManus, a member of the program’s second graduating class in 2017, is fulfilling that goal. She works with her father in a rural family practice in Morganton, N.C.

“It is an interesting dynamic having my Dad as my supervising physician, but we work well together,” McManus offered. “Our office is about 10 miles outside of town, and we see patients from many surrounding counties. I see a wide variety of ages and complaints, everything from newborn exams to diabetes to musculoskeletal complaints to women’s health and beyond. Because of our rural location, we are often used as a sort of urgent care and will have patients who need stitches, or construction workers who have nails shot through their fingers. We often see agricultural-related injuries, as well, including the occasional rooster bite.”

As an undergrad, McManus started out in animal science with plans to become a veterinarian. After spending a year studying animals, she realized her true calling was to work with people. She changed her major to biological sciences with a concentration in human biology.

When she started looking for graduate schools, she applied to �۶�ֱ��’s PA program and was invited for an interview. She liked the University for several reasons, including its Christian foundation, small class sizes and supportive faculty and staff. “The professors truly care about you, your wellbeing and your future,” she assessed. “They will challenge you beyond what you thought possible, because they know what you are capable of doing. They will be there for you when you are struggling and will also celebrate your accomplishments with you.”

The classes—from systematic medical modules and professional development to documentation and guest lectures on ethics and medical malpractice—taught her how to develop a diagnosis and plan for a particular patient. “We also learned how to write, say and teach the plan and advocate for the patient,” she related. “My education taught me how much teamwork truly goes into the care of each individual patient. If there is a question I cannot answer, I have the option of consulting my supervising physician, pharmacists, radiologists, nurses, physical therapists and other specialists to find an answer.”

Another highlight of her time at GWU was being chosen to spend six weeks in Zambia, Africa, working in a small mission hospital. “It was one of the best and most challenging experiences of my life and further ingrained in me a passion to bring medical aid to those who need it most,” McManus asserted, adding that she’d like to do short-term medical mission trips in the future.

Because of her experiences, McManus helps mentor current GWU students as a preceptor for the program. “I feel that one of the responsibilities of a medical provider is to help teach and mentor new providers,” she affirmed. “Precepting students has given me even more passion for medicine and challenges me to continue learning every day. Being able to do this for students from my own alma mater gives me a greater appreciation for those who mentored me. I will forever be grateful for all of them.”

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Alumna appreciates integration of faith into GWU Department of Physician Assistant Studies

“One of my favorite things about �۶�ֱ�� was the integration of faith into the program. The faculty and staff are beyond amazing. I felt I could really focus on why God had me there—to become a Christ-led medical professional.”

Accepted into the �۶�ֱ�� University Physician Assistant (PA) Studies program in August 2015, Kelsey Nehrig and her husband moved to Boiling Springs, N.C., from Huntington Beach, Calif. She was impressed with the GWU program’s mission and values, and that clinical rotations included international missions’ opportunities.

“I had interviewed at about eight programs across the U.S. GWU’s interviews were personal, welcoming and uplifting,” she shared. “My husband and I were a little unsure about moving, but we prayed about it and felt the Lord calling us to Boiling Springs.”

To prepare for the rigorous academic requirements of the �۶�ֱ�� PA program, Nehrig obtained her undergraduate degree in kinesiology with a pre-health concentration. She also completed Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Medical Assistant (MA) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training.  

“I’ve always loved healthcare and have worked in it since I was 18 years old,” Nehrig asserted. “I believe the Lord has given me this passion for a reason. I hope to be a light to people who may be in dark places, specifically with their health. Nobody wants to be in a hospital or at the doctor’s office, but I hope to bring comfort and the joy of the Lord to these situations. My hope is that people can see the Lord’s love for them and how he’s caring for them through me.”  

Nehrig graduated in 2018 and moved to Kansas City, Mo., where she is working in vascular surgery for the University of Kansas Health System. “I am part of an amazing team of six surgeons and three Nurse Practitioners,” she related. “We travel between five community hospitals in the Kansas City area. I first assist in surgery, round on post-op patients and see consults. I really enjoy surgery and comforting patients through what can be a very intimidating process.”

During her time at GWU, she did have a chance to participate in a clinical rotation to Zambia, Africa. The experience confirmed to Nehrig that God does want to use her and her husband on the mission field in the future. “One of my favorite things about �۶�ֱ�� was the integration of faith into the program,” she observed. “The faculty and staff are beyond amazing. They prepare you for the real world with professionalism and patient-centered care classes. I felt I could really focus on why God had me there—to become a Christ-led medical professional.”

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GWU Department of Physician Assistant Studies prepares alumnus to be lifelong learner

“The PA studies classes provide the base knowledge you need to succeed in a career as a PA, and the �۶�ֱ�� faculty instills a desire in each student to never stop learning.”

When Adam Benfield ’16 of Hickory, N.C., began looking at schools for Physician Assistant (PA) Studies, �۶�ֱ�� University was at the top of the list. A native of Fallston, N.C., Benfield had attended a larger university for his undergraduate degree but wanted the “hometown feel of a small campus and small class sizes for graduate school,” he shared.

He became a member of GWU’s first class of PA students and as he got to know his professors and classmates, he was grateful for the opportunity. “The individualized care you receive at �۶�ֱ�� is far and above the most valued part of my experience,” Benfield observed. “Each professor brings different background experiences, knowledge, and approaches to learning and medicine, which mesh to create the perfect environment to push each student to achieve his or her maximum potential and beyond. Each professor knows you by name and, particularly in the PA program, you spend so much time with the professors that they will know you almost better than you know yourself. Given this, there is no lack of available professors to write references for you once you graduate and begin looking for work.”

Benfield works in a family medicine practice, seeing patients of all ages. Being a PA combines his two interests. “I’ve always been intrigued by science and driven by the desire to understand the world around me,” he assessed. “I’ve also been compassionate and caring. The rigorous academic studies and science combined with the ability to manage my own patients once I graduated led me to choose the PA profession. Family medicine gives me a broad range of experiences and is not limited to one specialty or one body system, which keeps my job interesting as well as academically engaging.”

His advice to new PA students is to persevere. “The PA studies classes provide the base knowledge you need to succeed in a career as a PA, and the �۶�ֱ�� faculty instills a desire in each student to never stop learning,” Benfield affirmed. “It is going to be a grueling several years of lectures, studying, late nights, and early mornings. You’re going to feel like you’re being torn down, but ultimately, with enough tenacity and resilience, you will arise with the knowledge, tools, and will to succeed in medicine. By providing this base knowledge and giving you the tools and the know-how to continue your education throughout your life, �۶�ֱ�� prepares you for every situation that you could possibly face in the real world.”

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