Duke Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program Celebrates Inaugural Commencement – Duke University School of Medicine

Duke Occupational Remedy Doctorate Class of 2024

On Could 4, the Duke Occupational Remedy Doctorate (OTD) Program honored the primary graduating class of 36 college students at a morning graduation ceremony on the Duke College Chapel. With their dedication and exhausting work, this class has achieved outstanding success, which was overwhelmingly current on the ceremony.   

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Barbara Hooper, PhD, OTR/L, founding program director and division chief, OTD

Delight, friendship, and triumph beamed from Barbara Hooper, PhD, OTR/L, founding program director and division chief, as she exclaimed, “It’s my deep pleasure to welcome you to this momentous event to have fun this group of trailblazers, pioneers, and graduates of the Occupational Remedy Doctorate program at Duke College.”

She exclaimed, “Bettering the well being of people, communities, and populations by addressing what folks need and have to do day by day is what we envisioned Duke OTD graduates advancing. At the moment, we all know it’ll occur.” 

Duke welcomed the occupational remedy program’s inaugural cohort of scholars in August 2021. This system is constructed on the conviction that the power to have interaction in actions which might be essential to folks is a human proper and important to good well being. Occupational remedy improves the power of people to entry and take part in all of the actions that add which means to their lives, together with jobs, household actions, childcare, getting ready meals, schooling, religion and faith, recreation, and extra. 

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Benjamin Alman, MD, chair, orthopaedic surgical procedure division

The chair of the Duke orthopaedic surgical procedure division, Benjamin Alman, MD, informed the graduating class that they could surprise why a division of orthopaedic surgical procedure would begin an occupational remedy program. “I’m a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon, and I’m right here to let you know that we do some issues to assist sufferers with surgical procedure, however a very powerful elements of serving to sufferers survive of their setting and enhance their lives come from the therapies deployed by occupational therapists. At all times do not forget that you play a essential position in folks’s lives.”

He continued, “You took a pioneering step in 2021. You’re the very top notch to graduate from the occupational remedy doctorate program at Duke College. It is usually the a hundredth anniversary of Duke. All of you took an opportunity on this incredible program. The achievements completed to date are superb. The world adjustments quickly. If you first began, we had been mired in COVID. You tailored to your setting. You got here with the precise mindset to make that occur, so we count on unbelievable issues to occur as a result of your drive and accomplishments.”

The ceremony subsequent featured graduating college students’ reflections about their OTD journey at Duke.

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Jisun Kim, OTD

In her day by day gratitude journal, Jisun Kim shared an August 2021 entry: “I believe I’m in good firm. The nice firm become a very good neighborhood that realized and grew collectively.”

“Collectively, we accomplished 560 medical observe hours, 560 hours of our doctoral capstone initiatives, and transitioned from college students to entry-level practitioners. I’ve to say that the vitality right here jogs my memory of our begin three years in the past. Now we have a renewed sense of goal and confidence. There’ll nonetheless be moments of uncertainty however by no means lose sight of who you might be. Have a look at what we’ve got completed. Maintain on to those successes and you’ll want to select curiosity over judgment, neighborhood over competitors, and progress over perfection.“

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Sydney Ross, OTD

Subsequent, Sydney Ross shared, “Reflecting on our time collectively, I famous a typical thread that related us all, and I hope this thread will carry us into our future careers. This thread is a imaginative and prescient of risk. Because the inaugural class, we might really feel the anxiousness of the unknown surrounding us. Nevertheless, the sense of hope within the face of the unknown was palpable, nevertheless it was not a novel thought for us as occupational remedy college students. We had been launched to the imaginative and prescient of risk in our first ‘Enabling Occupations’ class. We should at all times see the potential within the people we work with. The imaginative and prescient of risk is why we’re all sitting right here right this moment.”

Because the ceremony progressed, Dr. Hooper elucidated the which means and granting of the doctoral scarf. “The scarf is a garment with world origins and symbolism that celebrates the crossing of the brink. At the moment, you cross the brink into the neighborhood of occupational remedy. We have fun your crossing into OT by granting the doctoral scarf as an indication of your rising data and giftedness. It’s a joyful image welcoming the good items inside you. You now put on the data, abilities, and insights that outline your distinct career.”

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Tomeico Faison, OTD, OTR/L, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgical procedure

The graduates excitedly welcomed Tomeico Faison, OTD, OTR/L, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgical procedure, to the rostrum to deal with the graduating class. “I really like that we’re making noise at this ceremony. It’s a time of celebration and inspiration. You might be an inspiration to our neighborhood. You’ve gotten dedicated to serving folks with impairments that limit them from participating in significant occupations. Your ability set will positively change lives. We’re so very happy with you.”

View a replay of the graduation ceremony.

Video by Jim Rogalski, multimedia producer within the Workplace of Strategic Communications.

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