CRESTVIEW — Florida International University remains committed to its physician assistant program’s Crestview component, despite the death of its most ardent local proponent.
Peter Gutierrez, dean of FIU's new Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine PA program, visited Mayor David Cadle on Thursday to assure him the program will proceed as former state senator and Crestview physician Durrell Peaden envisioned.
After several years of planning and receiving accreditation, the program’s first 45 students started classes Aug. 3 at FIU’s Miami campus.
“They (had) their first test this week,” Gutierrez said. “We’re excited. We have our white coat ceremony Oct. 22. It’s for real. It’s no longer in planning. It’s happening.” White coat ceremonies mark medical students' transition from the study of preclinical to clinical health sciences.
“We’re looking to send the students here (to Crestview) in 15 months for hospital rotations and rural clinical rotations,” Gutierrez said. “It will be a great experience they can’t get in the Miami area.”
Several Crestview rotation sites, including North Okaloosa Medical Center, are being considered. In addition, “We’re talking with the armed forces to see if we can get some rotations inside the (Eglin) air base, too,” Gutierrez said.
Five to 10 students will be in the first group to study in Crestview, Gutierrez said. Local clinical rotations will last nine to 10 months, he said.
Peaden — who died June 23 of illness related to a heart attack — worked tirelessly to bring healthcare and health education programs to North Okaloosa and Walton counties.
His initiatives included the Florida A&M University Rural Diversity Healthcare Center in downtown Crestview, the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine DeFuniak Springs Dental Offices, and the FIU physician assistant program.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: First students to begin Crestview clinical rotations in 2016