Over the years, hundreds of physical therapists have launched successful careers by earning doctoral degrees at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMU). That tradition continued this month when 51 students from the 21st cohort of the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program participated in spring convocation.

Making the April 10 event even more remarkable for RMU, the university also celebrated the first graduating class of its entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program.

Six occupational therapy students, including several who earned undergraduate degrees at Utah Valley University, were honored for completing the graduate program after beginning when the school’s OTD program debuted in Fall 2023.

It’s been a great learning experience for the students — Danielle Archer, Lauren Colley, Christen Ellis, Danae Smith, Katelyn Spiker and Cynthia Uriarte — and the school.

“Because we were the first cohort, we got the opportunity to collaborate with faculty to figure out what the program was going to look like and what the overall culture of the OTD program at RMU would be,” said Ellis, a graduate speaker. “We got to play a big role in that, which I feel is a unique opportunity.”

Dr. Bryan Gee, RMU’s occupational therapy department chair, credited the graduates and the program’s faculty and staff for helping each other get the program off to a great start.

“This is our premier cohort, our inaugural cohort. When you start a new program from scratch, it takes pioneers,” Dr. Gee said at convocation. “These students have been our colleagues as well. They were never afraid to ask hard questions or say, ‘Dr. Gee, I have a bone to pick with you.’ There has always been a level of mutual respect. I want to congratulate these six and say, ‘Thank you.'”

Even with some growing pains, the results and trajectory are promising for RMU’s hybrid entry-level occupational therapy program (the only one of its kind in Utah). The school’s second OTD class grew from six to 22, while the recently started third group has nearly 40 students.

It’s good timing for the fledgling OTD program, with demand for occupational therapists expected to grow by 14% through 2034, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“What I really loved is that the hybrid program is so flexible. We get to continue living wherever we are, having jobs, and still complete the program,” Spiker said. “RMU is very student-oriented. They listen to the students and take our feedback very seriously. We’ve been able to see the results of our feedback throughout the program, which has been really awesome.”

The six students joked about how their online Zoom classes resembled the Brady Bunch video grid because of how their faces aligned with the professors on their computer screens.

With a group their size, you certainly couldn’t miss a class or stop paying attention without going unnoticed. Though some cohorts in other studies have 50-plus students, these students are grateful for the unusual circumstance that allowed them to get to know each other and work together closely.

“There were times when doing group projects with the same six people was difficult, but I definitely wouldn’t trade my cohort for anything,” Colley said. “I wouldn’t trade six for 56.”

The classmates — five from Utah and one from Arizona — value the bond they forged online and in person.

“We all went through various life circumstances that caused some disruption, but between the six of us, we held each other up and pulled each other through this program,” Colley said. “We wouldn’t let anyone move on until we were all able to. We were always supporting each other — whether it was anatomy or another subject — because we wanted all six of us to make it to the end together.”

RMU also offers an accelerated pathway in partnership with UVU, enabling qualified students to enter the workforce sooner than traditional programs, along with OT options for a master’s degree and a post-professional doctorate.

The hybrid models allow the program to utilize faculty from across the country, bringing diverse clinical expertise and perspectives into the classroom. Students remain in their home communities while completing most of their coursework online and attending on-campus sessions in Provo for a maximum of 10 weeks over 2.6 years (for the OTD).

“I chose RMU because of its unique hybrid model, which allowed me to complete the majority of my coursework from home while still providing hands-on experiences during our intensive learning weeks, which occur in person,” Ellis said. “The faculty’s investment in my growth, both in the online classroom and in-person labs, has fostered not only my academic development as a student but also my professional growth in the field of occupational therapy.”

During her convocation speech, Ellis highlighted the commitment students make to earn a doctorate with some staggering numbers. Since August 2023, she logged 774 hours in the Zoom classroom, 608 hours of in-person learning, 1,080 hours of clinical fieldwork and 448 hours on her doctoral capstone project.

Her favorite part? Helping clients improve their health during clinical rotations.

“We’ve learned to approach client care through a truly holistic lens,” Ellis said. “For me, my clinical field rotation is when everything actually clicked, and I got to see firsthand the impact of the profession that I chose.”

At convocation, Ellis shared about her experience working with an inpatient rehabilitation client. At first, the woman could barely move her extremities and needed complete assistance with each occupation (activity). As her occupational therapist for a four-week stay, Ellis helped the woman progress to the point where she was able to walk on her own out of the hospital to go watch her son compete in a golf tournament. It was gratifying for Ellis to help her motivated client progress to become mobile, work as a recreational therapist and golf again.

“I know all six of us had very important clients like this in our field work rotations, and we’re just going to continue to have this impact on people’s lives,” Ellis said.

“Maybe we entered field work with uncertainty and nerves. Maybe we have uncertainty and nerves going into being an entry-level provider,” she added. “But we came away from this program knowing the impact that occupational therapy could have and with increased confidence in our skills and our understanding of our individual role on the healthcare team.”

Jody Genessy is a senior content writer at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions.