Imagine having your final clinical rotation unexpectedly cut short, or leaving for a holiday break, only to find out that you’ll never return to in-person classes. That was the case for members of the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences’ (SMHS) Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) Class of 2020 and 2021 following the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fortunately, growing vaccination rates and wide-spread mask requirements allowed for a long-overdue graduation celebration to take place on GW’s Foggy Bottom campus this October. Members of the GW SMHS DPT program celebrated the classes of 2020 and 2021 with a reunion of recent graduates and faculty. The event took place the same weekend as the GW Commencement Celebration on the National Mall. Recent graduates who live in the area, as well as some long-distance travelers from the west coast, made the trip to Washington, D.C., to attend the weekend of festivities.
Gabbie Cook, DPT ’21, was one of the graduates who attended the events. “It was especially nice for the class of 2021. We kind of left for spring break and then never had the chance to come back. We went from spending everyday together to sudden isolation. Everyone was really excited to see each other,” said Cook. She also mentioned that this was her first time seeing her old professors since she had been in school.
“I just love our class so much,” added Cook. “We went to our usual lab tables and felt like we should be opening up our computers and getting ready to study. It felt like we had just been together the other day.”
She said her favorite part of the weekend was talking to former classmates about their first jobs and hearing how they are enjoying their respective rehab settings. “During our clinicals we were always talking about what we were doing and we knew where everyone was. Now everyone has jobs and [we] are spread across the country doing different things; it’s harder to connect.” Cook added that it was reassuring to talk to others who were new to their careers, since she is the only recent graduate at her workplace.
Karen Goodman, DPT, assistant professor of health, human function, and rehabilitation sciences, spoke highly of the festivities. “It was a really nice opportunity to bring back the classes of 2020 and 2021 and recognize the hard work and dedication that allowed them to graduate from our program.” Goodman added that she enjoyed seeing the growth in her former students as they discussed their new jobs and role as a licensed clinician.
“It was really great for me to see them and for them to see themselves as colleagues of mine rather than students,” added Goodman.