The DPT Class of 2024 Earn Their White Coats
The Emory & Henry Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program housed at the Health Sciences campus in Marion held a traditional White Coat Ceremony on Friday, June 23, 2023, at the Lincoln Theatre in Marion.
The White Coat Ceremony signifies the beginning of the year-long clinical rotation component of the program as a physical therapy student and comes following two years focused on the didactic portion of students’ training.
“It was an honor to stand beside my classmates and receive our white coats that we have worked diligently for over the past 2 years. Nothing is more rewarding than knowing we are one step closer to improving the quality of life for the communities we get the opportunity to serve.” - Kayleigh Johnson
“To finally reach this acme and don our white coats was a surreal experience. It is so easy to become discouraged when a thousand curve balls are being thrown at you simultaneously. But this white coat is a reminder to us all what resilience and commitment can get you. It is the ultimate privilege to step out into the clinic and continue to learn through our patients.” - Mia Young
The ceremony is a rite of passage that serves as a symbol of the responsibility, obligations, honor, excellence, accountability, compassion, and inclusiveness required of their chosen profession.
Speakers at the ceremony included Dr. Eric Coley, Dr. A. Louise Fincher, Dr. William Bodfish, and Dr. Chase Edwards.
Dr. Bodfish encouraged the students to remain seekers of knowledge, as they enter into the clinical setting.
“High-quality experience is found outside of our comfort zones and now is the best time to try new things and learn from the results,” said Dr. Bodfish.
After receiving their personalized white coats, students recited the Oath of Professionalism during the ceremony led by student Tori Powers.
The DPT program is a three-year, 118-credit-hour graduate program that reflects Emory & Henry’s core values of addressing issues of public concern through professions that contribute to the public good and educating professionals who are critical thinkers prepared to meet the challenges of a changing healthcare environment.
This group of 28 students is the seventh class of DPT students to earn their white coats.
The Physical Therapy Program at Emory & Henry College is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), 1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; telephone: 703-706-3245; email: accreditation@apta.org.
For more information on the DPT program at the Emory & Henry College School of Health Sciences, please visit www.emoryhenry.edu/dpt.
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