January 9
th
brought a new generation of scholarly students to
Chapman University’
s renowned
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
 program. One of the longest running and highly prestigious DPT programs in the United States, only the top 5% were accepted and will continue 87 years of tradition and excellence this upcoming year.

Welcoming the Class of 2017 was 
Dr. Jacklyn Brechter
, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Physical Therapy. With a light spirit and a grand smile, she encourages the students take their seats as the audience full of friends and family await for the ceremony to begin.

After the ceremonial welcome, Dr. Rick Katz, President of 
Adient Health
 eagerly shares his experiences in the field with the Professional Address. Alongside him were 12 faculty members of the program, each given an opportunity to give their class of students the honored White Coat. The White Coat symbolizes the student’s acceptance to the program with an aspiring career as a potential health care professional. For the next three years, these faculty members will be mentors, guidance counselors, teachers and friends to these future Doctors of Physical Therapy. After each student receives their coat, an oath is taken to assure the student’s commitment to integrity and patient health through the ‘Affirmation of PT Ethics Statement.’

DPT White Coat Ceremony stage


Physical therapist, businessman, and Chapman University Alumni, 
Mr. Richard Coury
’96 
addresses the students with a profound speech on the ‘Principle of Exchange.’ Co-owner of
Coury & Buehler Physical Therapy
, his business expands to five locations in the Orange County area. Mr. Coury, who is a member of the Crean College Leadership Council, encourages the students in how he has brought success to his business and healing to his patients. For his dedication, Mr. Coury was presented with the “Alumnus of the Year” award at the ceremony.


Speaker at the DPT White Coat Ceremony“If you want the job,” says Coury, “I encourage to constantly Exchange in Abundance… Recognize that when you are on an internship and your clinical instructor stays after work or spends time on lunch to teach you a new technique, he is exchanging in abundance with you. Demonstrate gratitude for his time. Exchange in abundance with the places you do internships at… Take initiative and produce it, and make it high quality. Be the best student your clinical instructor ever had.”


Mr. Richard Coury goes on to empower the students, expressing how they each have a unique opportunity to positively impact the places they observe, intern, and work at.

“People who Exchange in Abundance and have a history of adding value to others lives are becoming more and more rare. These are the people who are most sought after when you graduate. You can all be among these very individuals. You can be more than a candidate, you can be the candidate.”


Closing remarks were bought to the students by 
Dr. Janeen Hill
, Dean of 
Crean College of
 
Health & Behavioral Sciences.
 Faced with possibilities and opportunities, the DPT students will now be immersed in the mission Chapman University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program: To foster the development of professional Doctors of Physical Therapy who are exceptional clinicians, skilled in delivering ethical care in today’s global community.  Students will be qualified as autonomous practitioners, informed in evidence-based practice, mentored in good clinical judgment, dedicated to lifelong learning, and prepared to be leaders in health care.