On Saturday, July 13, 2024, our inaugural hybrid Doctor of Physical Therapy cohort participated in the Class of 2026 White Coat and Oath Ceremony at the Hybl Center, located at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) Campus. 34 students were officially welcomed to the CU Physical Therapy family in the presence of faculty members and their loved ones.

Utilizing resources and talent from both CU Anschutz and UCCS, the universities plan to provide a unified academic curriculum for students pursuing a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree. Students in the DPT hybrid pathway at UCCS will spend the same amount of time in clinical rotations and have the same graduation requirements as the residential DPT pathway students at CU Anschutz. Students in the UCCS hybrid DPT pathway will have the option to live in Colorado Springs throughout their DPT education and commute to the William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center for approximately 7-14 days of intensive lab immersion within each semester or learning block. The rest of the course content occurs online in synchronous or asynchronous format, allowing the students to reside in their local communities.

Greetings and remarks were delivered by Dana Judd, PT, DPT, PhD, Associate Professor and Section Director of Student Affairs; Kevin Laudner, PhD, ATC, Professor and Dean of Beth-El College of Nursing & Health Sciences; Jackie Berning, PhD, RD, CSSD, Professor and Chair of the Health Sciences Department; and Dan Malone, PT, PhD, Associate Professor and Director of the Hybrid Pathway. Assistant Professor Rebecca Abbott, PT, DPT, PhD, introduced the class of 2026 before they recited the oath.

Following the ceremony was a reception for our newly matriculated students and their families to celebrate this monumental milestone in their educational journeys. The matriculation ceremony comes off the heels of their first week of lab immersions at the UCCS campus. Their second round of lab immersions will occur the week of August 12th.