Our Crowdfunding Groups
The Ceremony
The goal of this campaign is to provide the financial means for the University of Pittsburgh Student Occupational Therapy Association’s 3rd Annual Professional Pledge Ceremony. This event will recognize the entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) Class of 2023 as these students mark the end of their didactic coursework and make the transition to the clinic and also the post-professional Master of Science (MS) in Occupational Therapy Class of 2022. Students from these cohorts have been working to plan, organize, and execute this event from start to finish. Our class has experienced more than a year of our time with Pitt OT learning over Zoom. This has created barriers to learning and getting to know each other, an experience that has created resiliency among this class. This ceremony is special to us as this is one of the first times we are able to be together as one to celebrate our successes and have some normalcy in our experience here at Pitt.
The White Coat
The Professional Pledge Ceremony is viewed by many as a rite of passage for future healthcare practitioners, as they promise to uphold the high standards set by our fellow clinicians around the world. The white coat symbolizes professionalism, caring, and trust which must be earned from the patients by the students. As students don their white coats, they assume the responsibility that comes with being an occupational therapist and move one step closer to becoming a practitioner who is dedicated to improving the lives of others and changing the world one patient at a time.
Our Vision
The University of Pittsburgh Student Occupational Therapy Association (UPSOTA) strives to engage all of its students and provide the most fulfilling and enriching student experience possible. Through this committee, students fundraise, create and plan events, discuss interprofessional opportunities, attend professional conventions for networking, and engage with the community. Fundraising by UPSOTA provides students with the opportunity to participate in as many of these programs as possible. Through fundraising, the Pitt MSOT Class of 2022 and the OTD class of 2023 sincerely hope to raise sufficient funds to eliminate the financial burden, shifting students’ focus towards honoring their hard work and dedication.
After the Ceremony
Following the white coat ceremony, there may be leftover funds from the class’ fundraising efforts. Excess funds raised through this campaign will go directly to additional costs for the Professional Pledge Ceremony and UPSOTA. These funds will then be available for UPSOTA students to use for educational enrichment purposes and providing opportunities outside of the classroom. Here are a few examples of what these excess funds would be used for:
Every dollar contributes to an absolutely fantastic and world-class student experience organized through the volition of Pitt’s own occupational therapy students.
_______________________________
Contributions received for this project shall be used in accordance with the purpose described herein, the terms in the FAQs and applicable law. For questions that cannot be answered in the FAQs, please call 412-648-4658 or email engage@pitt.edu.
Occupational therapy is ranked #10 as the best health care job by US News and World Report in 2021.
In 1973, OT collaboration with NASA demonstrated that technology developed for use in the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center’s Teleoperator-Manipulator Program can be adapted for people with artificial arms and for those with paralyzed arms.
In 2019, Occupational Therapists celebrated 100 years of having an established role in pediatrics!
These students have survived college during a global pandemic for a year and a half.
In 2020, The University of Pittsburgh’s Doctor of Occupational Program improved its rank to #3 nationally.
Occupational Therapists can work with people at any age of life to increase their independence.
