The University of Georgia School of Medicine has been a buzzing hub of activity and excitement for two years. Faculty and staff have worked tirelessly to get the state’s second public medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education in time to welcome students for the fall of 2026.

In the midst of the flurry stand Brian Steele and Chelsea Wesnofske, the small-but-mighty admissions team at the School of Medicine. Steele, associate dean of admissions, and Wesnofske, director of admissions, have quite a large task on their hands as they are charged with shaping the School of Medicine’s historic inaugural class.

“I’ve always been energized by building and creating, but this experience carries a different kind of weight and meaning,” said Wesnofske. “I feel a deep sense of gratitude to be entrusted with such a significant responsibility.”

As the anticipated accreditation day loomed in February, Steele and Wesnofske were teaming up with coworkers at the School of Medicine to lay a solid foundation before applications opened. Policies and procedures had to be drafted, an admissions committee formed and marketing materials created. Everything had to be built from scratch and perfected within a quick timeline.

“We were creating structures, drafting policies, building the website, preparing applicant materials and mapping out what the student experience would look like before we were even allowed to recruit students,” said Steele. “There were countless phone calls, brainstorming sessions and moments of asking, ‘Is this the right and best way to do things?’”

On Feb. 13, the School of Medicine was granted preliminary accreditation from the LCME, and as soon as the news broke, the ringing phones began echoing throughout the halls of the admissions office.

“I think by early afternoon, we had spoken to 100 unique individuals, not counting any voicemails that we had to return,” said Wesnofske. “The calm before the storm had officially passed, and in the best way possible, the office was buzzing with energy and momentum.”

“I highly underestimated how many calls and emails we would receive,” said Steele.

Both Steele and Wesnofske said that while they were nervous about this day, it was a relief to finally be able to publicly begin the recruiting process. So much had been happening behind the scenes with the School of Medicine, but with accreditation officially achieved, everything could be made public.

“That day marked the culmination of years of hard work, long days, thoughtful planning and countless meetings, all coming to fruition,” said Wesnofske. “Being able to share our work openly and to talk about the vision, the structure and the admissions process felt like releasing a breath we’d been holding for a very long time.”

Once the School of Medicine was accredited, it still had to wait to be given the green light to open applications. When a medical school receives accreditation from the LCME, applications do not automatically open. The school must first be approved by the Association of American Medical Colleges and then approved by the AAMC’s Council of Deans. Once those approvals are secured, the applications are opened on the American Medical College Application Service.

On Feb. 19, not even a full week after the School of Medicine received preliminary accreditation, applications to the school were officially opened on AMCAS. Steele said as soon as he received word that applications were indeed live, prospective students began emailing him to let him know they had applied.

“Seeing the first applications come through was incredibly thrilling. It made everything feel real,” said Wesnofske.

Steele said they were excited when they saw applications begin to trickle in but quickly shifted their focus to what needed to be done next.

“I thought, ‘Okay, now the real work begins,’” said Steele. “We immediately shifted to ensuring our secondary application was ready to send out and that applicants knew we were officially accepting submissions. It was a pivotal day.”

Within the first 24 hours, the School of Medicine received 875 applications.

“For a brand-new medical school, that level of interest speaks volumes about the excitement surrounding UGA and the need for more physicians in Georgia,” said Steele.

Both Steele and Wesnofske echoed each other with three words to describe the time since applications opened — busy yet meaningful.

“It has been crazy, but a good type of crazy,” said Steele. “For a long time, I couldn’t publicly talk about the school or guide students toward applying. Now I can. One of my favorite parts of my role is helping students pursue their dream of becoming a physician. Being a resource for applicants, advisors, and mentors has been deeply rewarding. It’s busy, but it’s meaningful.”

“It’s been a whirlwind of phone calls, emails, events and travel. It has been busy, but it’s the best kind of busy,” said Wesnofske. “Connecting with prospective students and community members is incredibly energizing for me. I’m genuinely excited about what the School of Medicine has to offer and the impact we’ll have across our state, so engaging with hundreds of others who share that excitement has been deeply meaningful.”

By the time primary applications closed on March 6, just two weeks and one day after they opened, more than 2,000 applications had been received. The interview committee is currently conducting rolling interviews, and final decisions will be made in April. Sixty students will be enrolled in the first class.

Steele said they are looking for students who are aligned with the school’s mission to make an impact in medically underserved communities nationwide.

“We want students who see medicine as a service, who understand community and who are motivated to address physician shortages and improve health outcomes across Georgia and beyond,” said Steele. “Academic excellence matters, but mission alignment is equally important.”

Wesnofske echoed Steele and said this opportunity to be a student at the School of Medicine is an extraordinary chance to be a part of something historic.

“They have a rare opportunity to help co-create a new approach to medical education, one that is deeply connected to serving our communities,” she said. “That kind of opportunity doesn’t come along often.”

The Office of Admissions is also growing, much to the delight of Steele and Wesnofske. The office recently welcomed Joey Tarnowski as the enrollment and data coordinator, and interviews are currently being conducted for an outreach and engagement coordinator position.

The team has also been hitting the road at various recruiting events throughout the state and has hosted a variety of in-person and virtual open houses, with the first session reaching capacity at nearly 500 RSVPs. Upcoming events for the Office of Admissions include a day of info sessions on March 20 and the Spring Pre-Health Student Conference at the Tate Student Center on April 15.

After admitting the first class of students to the school, the admissions team will have no time to rest, as they will turn their focus immediately to recruiting for the 2027 cycle. Steele and Wesnofske also plan to expand outreach efforts to connect with more communities across the state.

“I have a personal goal of visiting all 159 counties in Georgia over time, and I’d love to visit every college and university across the state,” said Steele. “Building relationships early and often is essential if we are serious about strengthening Georgia’s physician workforce. It’s what we will tell our students: you have to know Georgia to better love and serve Georgia.”

Despite all the long hours and endless work, Steele and Wesnofske are honored to be part of this historic occasion.

“It’s both an honor and a privilege to help lay the foundation for something that will impact generations of students and communities to come,” said Wesnofske.

“Helping build a medical school that will directly impact Georgia’s physician workforce and community health is something I don’t take lightly,” said Steele. “Being part of shaping the culture, values and future of this school from day one is extraordinary. This is a once-in-a-career opportunity.”