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
ScD in Physical Therapy, Texas Tech University
Master's of Physical Therapy, Emory University
BA in Public Relations, Auburn University
Research Interests
Service-Learning
Global health
Areas of Expertise
Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
Suzanne Trotter graduated from Auburn University in 1990 with a BA in Public Relations and from Emory University in 1995 with a Master’s of Physical Therapy. She pursued a manual therapy certification through the International Academy of Orthopedic Medicine and was awarded Fellowship status in 2006 through the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists (AAOMPT). She completed a ScD in Physical Therapy through Texas Tech Health Sciences University in 2014.
She is currently teaching soft tissue interventions, Movement Science 2, and assists with Differential Diagnosis and other MSK courses as needed. She has been working in outpatient orthopedics for the majority of her career, and currently sees patients as needed in a private practice in Austin. In 2018, she co-founded the non-profit Tesoro Project, which engages clinicians and students on international service-learning projects to Guatemala.
She enjoys spending time with her husband, two children and two white Labrador Retrievers. She enjoys hiking, mountain biking, and weight training.
