NSU Conducts Inaugural White Coat Ceremony for New Tampa Physical Therapy Students

First physical therapy class of students to give oath to their profession

Attention Photo Editors:  Great visual opportunity

Tampa, FL – More than 20 students from Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU’s) charter class of the Tampa Physical Therapy program will participate in their inaugural “white coat ceremony”, which is a time-honored oath taken as part of their matriculation into the program.

The 23 physical therapy students from NSU’s Tampa Student Educational Center (SEC) will take part in the 4:30 p.m. on-campus ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 22.

Students will be ceremonially cloaked with their white coat by faculty from the physical therapy program.  A celebration follows at the SEC with words of wisdom to be delivered by keynote speaker Diana Ickes, PTA, who is recognized by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) as an emerging leader in the profession.

“The White Coat ceremony marks the special day these students recite the Oath of Commitment to the physical therapy profession and to the communities in which they will serve,” said Richard E. Davis, PA-C, Ed.D., dean of NSU’s College of Allied Health and Nursing, which runs NSU’s physical therapy programs.  “This special day conveys to the students the importance of caring as well as curing,” he said.

Mary Blackinton, HE-DPT program head and associate professor of the Tampa Physical Therapy program added that the 23 students of NSU’s new Hybrid Entry Level Doctor of Physical Therapy Program (DPT) represent a diverse group of individuals engaging in a new and exciting method of physical therapist education that combines online and in class learning.

The students range in age from 22 to 38; reside in nine different counties in Florida; and hail from four other states (Maryland, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin).  The majority work at least part time, some work full-time.

The Hybrid Entry Level DPT (HE-DPT) Program is a flexible program that combines online learning for flexibility and face-to-face learning for instruction and feedback on hands-on skills. The curriculum mirrors the full time E-DPT program at NSU’s main campus in Ft. Lauderdale except that it is completed in four 4 years instead of three. Students attend classes at the Tampa campus 4-5 days per month. The fourth year of the program consists of full-time clinical internships in a variety of settings.

Family and friends have been invited to the ceremony to share in this important transition. NSU’s Tampa Student Educational Center is located at 3632 Queen Palm Drive. Tampa, FL 33619.

###

About the White Coat Ceremony

The white coat ceremony symbolizes the transition of physical therapy students into the profession of physical therapy, and is based on the tradition established by Hippocrates who administered an oath to students before their medical studies began.  Faculty will participate by “coating” each student and together they will recite the Physical Therapy Oath.  A symbolic ‘torch’ will be lit representing the park of intellectual curiosity that remains in the heart of physical therapists throughout their lifetime.  Students will also profess their commitment as physical therapy students to the Code of Ethics and Core Values of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).

About Nova Southeastern University: Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic fully accredited Florida University dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs of distinction from preschool through the professional and doctoral levels. NSU has more than 29,000 students and is the eighth largest not-for-profit independent institution nationally. The University awards associate’s, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, specialist, and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields, including business, counseling, computer and information sciences, education, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, dentistry, various health professions, law, marine sciences, early childhood, psychology and other social sciences.  Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU was also awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification in 2010 for the University’s significant commitment to and demonstration of community engagement.   For more information about NSU visit www.nova.edu.

Media Contact:
Julie Spechler, NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5348(office), 954-591-3361 (cell), julies@nova.edu