At a key transition point in their studies, occupational therapy students across all USAHS campuses participate in a meaningful ritual, witnessed by family and friends. The OT pinning ceremony marks the end of the classroom portion of their studies and the beginning of their fieldwork. For Residential MOT and OTD students, this happens in their fourth term, and for Flex, in the seventh term.
A longstanding tradition in OT practice, the pin celebrates the diversity of practice areas, the client-centered nature of our practice and the values of our profession.
“It’s an opportunity for faculty to acknowledge our students’ transition from classroom learning to clinical learning,” says Mary Zadnik, ScD, MEd, OTR/L, director of the entry-level OT programs on Read more
AAS in Electrical Power Systems, Community College of the Air Force
BS in Physical Therapy, Russell Sage College
Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy, University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
Research Interests
Interprofessional collaboration
Neurological recovery strategies
Rehabilitation through yoga
BACKGROUND
Dr. Karen G. Noblitt has served as a contributing faculty member since 2015. She is also a physical therapist who specializes in the locomotor program at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, Florida, where she evaluates and treats veterans in inpatient and outpatient settings for neurological gait dysfunctions by using mechanical and specialized manual techniques/assistance to develop improved motor planning and proper gait kinematics. There, she also developed the hospital’s locomotor program.
Earlier in her career, she worked for the Polk County School District in Winter Haven, Florida, and as staff physical therapist at Tandem Rehabilitation Hospital in Lakeland. Dr. Noblitt began her career in the U.S. Air Force, where she served as a mechanic for diesel generators and air conditioning units for intercontinental ballistic missiles and support systems, and commanded a special operations unit.
