We put a statement in the student handbook and explain our stance at the orientation at the beginning of the year. We have an Inauguration Ceremony before level 2 FW where they take an OT Oath. We give them personalized certificates with the oath at the ceremony, and this year we collaborated with the students to see what “award” they’d like. They voted on nice athletic material full zip jackets with the school logo. Very functional but still look very nice.

Tara Ruppert, OTD, OTR/L, CHT
Associate Professor
Program Director of Occupational Therapy
College of Saint Mary

On Sep 25, 2023, at 8:09 AM, AOTA ot-pd List <ot-pd@aotalists.org> wrote:


I agree with all of the other responses. We have a separate hooding and pinning ceremony the night before graduation and the feedback we receive is that our OTD hooding is more meaningful to the students and their families than graduation. In previous discussions on this topic no one has ever said you cannot have a white coat ceremony. Instead, the feeling is that a white coat ceremony represents singular alignment with the medical model' "fixing" perspective which is the antithesis of Occupational Therapy past and current holistic philosophy.

Christine Wright
Arkansas State University

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We also get this request, but do not do a white coat ceremony. We do a pinning to welcome them to the profession. This happens in September as part of our Convocation ceremony. We also explain that the white coat is not consistent with our
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We also get this request, but do not do a white coat ceremony. We do a pinning to welcome them to the profession. This happens in September as part of our Convocation ceremony. We also explain that the white coat is not consistent with our mission and vision; it does not satisfy all of the students of course.

Shelly

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Sent: Saturday, September 23, 2023 3:37 PM
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Subject: Re: [OT-PD List - AOTA] - White coat ceremony

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We do not do one either.  It comes up every year. The faculty shares the history each year and it is also embedded in their structural competency learning in their coursework. They understand why we are philosophically opposed and that it doesn’t align with our mission & vision. It doesn’t prevent them from wanting the perfect social media photo however (when pushed to answer why the white coat specifically this is the response)! We offer multiple ceremonies along the way which welcome them to the program, welcome them to the clinical education portion etc. Because we feel we do a great job of welcoming them to our profession without the white coat we continue to honor our faculty’s wishes to not have one and tell the students ‘thanks for your feedback’!

Amy

Amy Armstrong-Heimsoth OTD, OTR/L, BCP<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://directory.nau.edu/person/alm594__;!!PirnAJVEmx4jpg!_b-k5HRvOu120ggFRNQvEtGxBF65m7NWQK6chTkMbzZD0yH1wPFJhBc1Ow-N9ip83zGPE2kj2HuuoYGg$>

Department Chair & Associate Clinical Professor

On Sep 23, 2023, at 12:44 PM, AOTA ot-pd List <ot-pd@aotalists.org<mailto:ot-pd@aotalists.org>> wrote:



We do not do a white coat ceremony. Students initially made a big issue out of this but we strongly were against this and did not heed to their wishes. We do a separate hooding ceremony with the other doctoral graduates as the hood represents academic achievement. The students embraced this.

One of my colleagues asked AI to write a paragraph why a hooding ceremony is more appropriate and a white coat ceremony is not. Very interesting AI response:

 “Our occupational therapy doctoral (OTD) program holds a hooding ceremony rather than a white coat ceremony because the hooding ceremony carries more meaning and significance for this particular degree. The hooding ceremony traces its origins to medieval universities and represents the culmination of years of rigorous academic work and achievement. When OTD graduates are hooded, they are welcomed into the academic community,  recognized for their advanced education, clinical skills, and commitment to the profession. The hood itself is symbolic, with its colors denoting the wearer's academic field and institution.  The white coat ceremony, while meaningful in fields like medicine, does not have the same level of history, tradition, and symbolism. The hooding ceremony is therefore a more fitting celebration for OTD graduates as they transition to influential clinicians, researchers, and leaders in the occupational therapy profession. It commemorates their passage into the highest level of preparation in their field.”

I thought that AI did a decent job!

Regards,

Beth Ekelman, PhD, JD, OTR/L (she/her)

Professor and Chair, Department of Occupational Therapy

Doctoral Capstone Coordinator, OTD Program

College of Health

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Beth Ekelman, PhD, JD, OTR/L

Cleveland State University

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I have shared the history of white coats with my students. My first class (graduated 2021) was moved by what I shared and voted against having a white coat ceremony. We developed a pinning ceremony.  Having a White Coat Ceremony in addition to pinning has come

up again this year. Students have not been moved by any of the material that I have shared. They have acknowledged it, but stated that they want a White Coat Ceremony like others have.  There was a vote and all current students want the white coat ceremony. We will be having a White Coat Ceremony and OT faculty and I will be working with students on framing the ceremony .

Laurie Olson PhD OTR/L FAOTA

Professor and Program Director

Iona University

NY Presbyterian Iona School of Health Science

Bronxville, NY

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On Sep 23, 2023, at 1:00 PM, AOTA ot-pd List <ot-pd@aotalists.org<mailto:ot-pd@aotalists.org>> wrote:



I know that this has been a discussion in the past, but does anyone have a solid answer or data on why we should no longer be using white coats during ceremonies with our students? I have students who are ready to revolt over this.

Thanks in advance!

Heather Thomas, Ph.D., OTR/L, DipACLM

Program Director

Entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program

Southern California University of Health Sciences

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting a fire." -W.B. Yeats