Program Chair Sandra Saavedra framed the white coat as a promise rather than a garment, urging students to view the next three years as a continuous process of professional growth. Keynote speaker Natalie Garcia, an alumna of the program, echoed this sentiment by emphasizing that the grit demonstrated during the students' previous academic hurdles would be essential as they transition into patient care.
WesternU Welcomes New Cohort of Physical Therapy Students
Forty-six students joined the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Health Sciences-Northwest on Aug. 7, 2026. The annual white coat ceremony served as a formal transition for the Class of 2029, marking their entry into the rigorous demands of clinical health care.
Site Dean Jonathan Perry concluded the event by highlighting the weight of accountability, noting that the coat symbolizes a lifelong commitment to curiosity and the compassionate treatment of future patients. Beyond the formal ceremony, the cohort has already begun establishing a support network. First-year student Ava Hollenbeck noted that communal living and orientation activities have fostered a tight-knit environment, while local student Katrina Reynolds credited her path to the program to early exposure through the university’s Lebanon Health Career Ladder program. For these students, the ceremony represents the official start of a journey toward restoring patient mobility and improving quality of life.
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