Elon DPT candidates became the first students to sign their names to a book, which signified their commitment to the Physical Therapy Pledge.
The 46 members of the Doctor of Physical Therapy’s Class of 2021 pledged to be ethical, compassionate and respectful professionals during the inaugural Department of Physical Therapy Education Professional Pledge Ceremony.
The ceremony inside the Gerald L. Francis Center was years in the making. After talking with previous Elon DPT candidates about the need for a ceremony to demonstrate the commitments students have to a code of ethics, class president Kyle Donaldson G’21 and social chair Suzanne Hoskinson G’21 decided now was the time to start the tradition. Working with DPT faculty, the two organized the program’s first-ever Professional Pledge Ceremony, which takes place as the students prepare to move into hands-on learning.
“We’re almost done with our first year of didactic work, and now we’re going to be moving on to clinicals,” Hoskinson said. “So this is a really good thing to have before we go out into the real world – just a reminder of what professionalism is and how to treat our patients well in the field of physical therapy.”
Elon DPT students committed themselves to careers of ethics and compassion by reciting the Physical Therapy Pledge and solidifying that commitment by adding the first signatures to a book that will be signed by Elon DPT students for decades to come.
“It is difficult to find a symbol that accurately represents the complexities and richness of a shared professional commitment,” Donaldson said before a room full of his classmates. “But I cannot think of anything more fitting than a book, large enough to hold generations of names, and made to be around for years to come. Future Elon students will sign their names, like we are doing today, joining us in our dedication to the highest standards of caring and excellence.”
Before reciting the Physical Therapy Pledge, Elon DPT candidates heard from Stephen Folger, department chair, program director and professor of physical therapy education, about the importance of professionalism. He explained the roles that accountability, integrity, compassion and other traits play in the process and urged students to carry the professionalism they learn at Elon into their careers.
“We must diligently identify and nurture our own professionalism,” Folger said. “We must look for examples in others, and we must strive to be models of professionalism ourselves. We must be life-long pursuers of professionalism.”
Elon’s three-year, full-time Doctor of Physical Therapy program emphasizes a patient-centered approach to the profession. The program includes science, research and 48 weeks of hands-on clinical practicums to reinforce what students learn in the classroom. Becky Neiduski, dean of the school of health sciences and professor of health sciences, says the Elon DPT experience is practice for a successful career of honest, compassionate and ethical work.
“While all these academic milestones are important, I also encourage you to embrace the physical therapy pledge as part of who you aspire to become as a person and make us proud,” she said.
All current students will have the opportunity to participate in the pledge ceremony. Members of the Class of 2020 will add their signatures to the school’s pledge book on Dec. 5, and members of the Class of 2019 will sign on Dec. 6, the day before they graduate.