The West Virginia University School of Medicine’s Division of Occupational Therapy hosted a pinning ceremony for 37 master’s and doctoral program students on April 14 at the Okey Patteson Auditorium in Morgantown.
Receiving their white coats marks a distinct transition from classroom instruction to hands-on clinical learning where students apply the foundational knowledge they received and work in real scenarios with patients in need of their services.
“The white coat ceremony is much more than gaining a new addition to the students’ wardrobe, it is a symbol of how much they have grown as student clinicians,” said Jacob Greenfield, OTD, OTR/L, ATRIC, CSRS, an assistant professor. “This ceremony is where the students get to showcase their hard work and dedication to their education and future careers. They are able to reflect back on their journey and feel an enormous sense of accomplishment accompanied with a feeling of excitement as they make the transition from the classroom to clinical rotations.”
The keynote speaker for the event was MaryBeth Mandich, PT, Ph.D., vice dean for WVU School of Medicine Health Professions and a professor in the Division of Physical Therapy. She discussed the role occupational therapists play on an interdisciplinary medical team.
Meet the students
Melissa Learish of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania is a student in the Occupational Therapy Doctoral program. Her first clinical rotation will be at WVU Medicine Children’s Neurodevelopmental Center in Morgantown, where she will focus on growing her clinical knowledge of treating children who have been diagnosed with grown and developmental disabilities of the brain and nervous system. Her second clinical rotation will be at an outpatient clinic in Beauford, South Carolina, where she will focus on both adults and children with an emphasis on hand, wrist and elbow therapy. Learish earned a bachelor’s degree in health behavior science with a concentration in disability studies from the University of Delaware.
“The OT program at WVU affords me opportunities that aren't available anywhere else to find and explore my passions, support my growth as a person and a clinician and learn from leaders in the field,” Learish said. “OT is a rewarding field that gives me the opportunity to support people during the toughest times of their lives to attain function in the activities that are most meaningful to them.”
Bryan Rogers of Sharon, Tennessee is a student in the Master of Occupational Therapy program. He will begin his fieldwork this summer with a rotation at the United Transitional Care Center at United Hospital Center in Bridgeport, West Virginia. He will be focusing on developing his clinical reasoning and treatment at the skilled nursing facility. Rogers earned a bachelor’s degree in health and human performance from the University of Tennessee at Martin.
“I am looking forward to putting the principles we have learned on campus into practice to help a variety of clients,” Rogers said. “I’m excited about the diversity of settings and populations I’ll have the chance to work with and the continual learning that comes with each interaction.”
For more information about WVU’s Occupational Therapy programs, visit: https://medicine.wvu.edu/ot/
