Programs Celebrate Milestone Anniversaries
Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy: 30 Years
Since their inception, the Departments of Physical Therapy (PT) and Occupational Therapy (OT) have developed and grown into well-recognized programs with a focus on graduating therapists who are equipped to serve the health complexities of individuals in rural and medically underserved communities.
Today, each program accepts 32 students per year, and the departments cumulatively consist of 18 faculty members, many of whom are graduates of the programs. Other alumni serve as adjunct faculty, fieldwork educators, authors, guest lecturers and employers of program graduates.
Occupational therapy celebrated its anniversary in September with a 5K fun run, department tours, networking and an evening social.
Physical therapy celebrated the milestone with a breakfast social, building and simulation center tours and an evening social.
Medical Laboratory Science: 75 Years
Medical laboratory science is one of the School of Health Sciences’ oldest programs, originating in the 1940s as medical technology, a Bachelor of Science degree offered within the school of medicine. In 2009, the name of the major was changed to clinical laboratory science to align with the profession’s title change. When two primary governing bodies of laboratory personnel certification unified, the professional title was updated, and USD followed suit, becoming medical laboratory science (MLS) in 2011.
“The strength of this program and its long history of excellence is what drew me to USD as a student and brought me back as an educator,” said Kari Potter, chair of the MLS program. “I feel privileged to continue the tradition and explore unique ways to provide our students with a high-quality education, ultimately producing exceptional medical laboratory scientists to serve the state, region and beyond.”
The first documented graduate of the program was in 1948. The MLS department, to-date, claims around 530 total graduates.
MLS will host a 75th anniversary celebration event in the spring of 2024.
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