The WVU School of Medicine occupational therapy program hosts pinning ceremony for masters and doctoral students
The West Virginia University School of Medicine’s Occupational Therapy program hosted a pinning ceremony for 33 master’s and doctoral programs students on April 16 at the Okey Patteson Auditorium in Morgantown.
Receiving their white coats and pins marks a distinct transition from didactic classroom instruction to clinical learning, where students apply the foundational knowledge they received and work in real scenarios with patients in need of their services.
“The pinning ceremony is always a rewarding and meaningful time for both faculty and students,” said Diana Davis, Ph.D., occupational therapy doctoral program director, “The ceremony reflects the success of the hard work and commitment of the students in achieving their goal of being occupational therapy practitioners.”
This was the twenty-fifth class of students since the program started in 1999, however, this was the first time in the program’s history that both masters and doctoral students were pinned in the same ceremony.
Division of Occupational Therapy Chairperson Steven Wheeler, Ph.D., OTR/L spoke about the opportunities that lie ahead for both masters and doctoral students in this next phase of their occupational therapy studies.
“As this group of exceptional students gets set to begin approximately six months of full-time clinical rotations, the faculty and I are excited to see the positive impact that they’ll have on the lives of individuals receiving occupational therapy in West Virginia and across the country,”
The keynote speaker for the ceremony way Missy Covert, OT, MOT/L, the director of rehabilitation at Camden Clark Medical Center and an alumnus of the WVU School of Medicine’s Occupational Therapy program. Covert spoke on memorable client experiences on her student fieldwork rotations and encouraged students for their upcoming fieldwork.
For more information about the Occupational Therapy program, visit: https://medicine.wvu.edu/ot/