Duke University School of Medicine welcomed new classes of physical and occupational therapy students this month as the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) programs launched a new academic year.
Orientation and convocation events introduced students to the programs and the training ahead, including classroom, laboratory and clinical experiences that will prepare them for careers focused on helping people recover, adapt and thrive.
The welcoming activities also included a DPT/OTD Resource Fair, where students connected with representatives from Duke programs and services that support academic success, well-being and engagement across the university.
DPT introduced 103 new students to the program during orientation Aug. 10-13. Students were introduced to Duke, explored the history of physical therapy, and began building professional relationships with classmates and faculty.
The incoming class arrives at a time when physical therapists are playing an increasingly important role in helping patients improve mobility, regain function, and maintain quality of life, said DPT Division Chief Todd Cade, PhD.
“Our goal is not only to prepare outstanding clinicians but also compassionate leaders, innovators and advocates,” he said.
Through community-building activities and small-group discussions, students began forming connections with classmates who will become future colleagues and collaborators.
“Over the next three years they will challenge themselves academically, grow as clinicians and build relationships with classmates, faculty, and the broader Duke community,” said Tiffany Hilton, director of the DPT program. “We are honored to be part of their journey.”
OTD’s weeklong orientation for its 45 incoming students focused on professional formation and SOM resources, included a campus scavenger hunt, and ended with convocation on Aug. 14.
Also taking part in the ceremony were 45 second-year students and two third-year students who had recently returned from fieldwork experiences through Duke's academic program.
"Convocation is our opportunity to pause, recognize these transitions, and affirm the commitments we embrace as members of the occupational therapy profession and Duke School of Medicine," said OTD Division Chief Barb Hooper, PhD.
Third-year students Tia Clark and Chrissa Flemming gave remarks at the ceremony and Duke Professor of Occupational Therapy Antoine Bailliard, PhD, delivered the keynote address.
As part of tradition, matriculating students received a teleidoscope, a gift that symbolizes the unique lens through which occupational therapists view the world. The instrument reflects the practitioner’s ability to recognize the complexity and health potential of everyday activities and routines, a foundational perspective of the profession.
The OTD ceremony concluded with students reciting an oath affirming their commitment to uphold the dignity and humanity of patients and advocate for access to meaningful occupations that support health and well-being.
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Antoine Bailliard, PhD, professor of occupational therapy, delivered the keynote address during the convocation as the Occupational Therapy Doctorate program welcomed 45 first-year students. -
A matriculating occupational therapy student ast Duke University School of Medicine holds a teleidoscope, a traditional gift symbolizing the unique lens through which occupational therapists view the world. -
Students recite an oath during the Occupational Therapy Doctorate ceremony, affirming their commitment to uphold the dignity and humanity of patients and to advocate for access to meaningful occupations that support health and well-being. -
Benjamin Alman, MD, chair of the Department of Orthopedics, addresses students during orientation week for the Doctor of Physical Therapy class of 2029 at the Duke University School of Medicine Trent Semans Center. -
Jingnuo Yang (center with iPad) signs up for more information about the BOOST Beyond program as Kent Yamamoto (right) talks to students during an orientation resource fair for physical therapy students at Duke University School of Medicine. -
Barb Hooper, PhD, division chief of the Occupational Therapy Doctorate program addresses students during orientation week at the Duke University School of Medicine Trent Semans Center. -
Jeff Holder, PT DPT, NCS, addresses students during orientation week for the Doctor of Physical Therapy class of2029, on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at the Trent SemansCenter. -
Doctor of physical therapy students visit a booth during a resource fair at the Trent Semans Center, on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. The resource fair was part of orientation week for the doctor of physical therapy class of 2029. -
Class of 2029 Doctor of Physical Therapy students