Class of 2027 D.P.T. Students Don White Coats for the First Time
Doctor of Physical Therapy Students Celebrate Transition to Clinical Education
Surrounded by proud families, friends, and faculty, the Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.) Class of 2027 commemorated the transition to their clinical journey during the D.P.T. White Coat Ceremony in the John W. Nevins, M.D. '44 Auditorium on April 10. As the 46 students donned their white coats, they marked their dedication to the field of physical therapy.
Janet P. Dolot, M.S., D.P.T., Dr.P.H. '14, PT, OCS, interim chief and associate professor of the Division of Physical Therapy, and director of clinical education, began the program by welcoming Rabbi Baruch Fogel, M.A., campus rabbi of Touro University, who delivered the invocation. The ceremony continued with Benjamin F. Johnson, Ed.D., vice dean of the School of Health Sciences and Practice, offering motivating remarks, noting, “As you come to a close in your first year, tonight is a symbol of your hard work and what your future will hold for you.”
Sharing words of wisdom, Vikas Grover, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, and chief and professor in the Division of Speech-Language Pathology, encouraged students to reflect on their journey so far. “This is the time to remind ourselves of the path we are already on.” Following his message, Kristina M. Welsome, D.P.T., M.S., PT, OCS, CFMT, MTC, NBC-HWC, assistant professor of physical therapy, offered an uplifting message, “The greatest gift you can bring to another human being is the love and the caring that you already have within your own heart”.
Alumna Emma Schunk, D.P.T. ’19, returned to campus as a guest speaker, and offered an inspiring perspective on what truly defines a health care professional. "The white coat may be a symbol of becoming a doctor, however, the actions you take and the way you carry yourself is what’s shaping you into a professional,” she remarked.
As students lined up to don their white coats for the first time, assisted by D.P.T. faculty members, an important chapter in their professional journey began. Students were reminded of this symbol of their clinical readiness, as they recited the Pledge for Physical Therapy from the American Physical Therapy Association Education Section 2004, led by Victor Santamaria, Ph.D., M.Sc., PT, PCS, assistant professor in the Division of Physical Therapy.
With white coats in hand, students gathered for photos with loved ones following the ceremony, commemorating this meaningful milestone.
Videos of the D.P.T. White Coat Ceremony are available on the NYMC YouTube Channel.
