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
EdD, University of North Florida
DPT, Stony Brook University
BS, Stony Brook University
Research Interests
Clinical Reasoning
Professional and Post-professional education
Orthopaedic Physical Therapy
Areas of Expertise
Orthopedics
Dr. Nicholas LaRosa is a physical therapist, educator and researcher focused on enhancing student learning and reasoning in physical therapy professional education. He earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy from Stony Brook University in 2004 and spent three years as a full-time clinician in acute care and in-patient rehabilitation settings treating individuals with joint arthroplasty, spinal surgery and acute fractures.
Dr. LaRosa joined the Brooks Rehabilitation outpatient clinic located in St. Augustine, FL in 2008, where he specialized in treating individuals with musculoskeletal dysfunction. His post-professional education includes completion of the Brooks/UNF Orthopaedic Residency Program in 2009 and the Brooks Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship Program in 2010.
He is a recognized Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists and has been granted Emeritus status as an Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education. In 2014, he began teaching in the University of North Florida Doctor of Physical Therapy program, where he facilitated courses in orthopaedic physical therapy, basic clinical skills, therapeutic modalities and leadership. He earned is EdD in Educational Leadership in 2019. His primary research focus is on clinical reasoning across professional and post-professional education.
Dr. LaRosa joined the core Flex Doctor of Physical Therapy program faculty at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences at the St. Augustine, FL Campus in 2021 and teaches within the musculoskeletal components of the program.
