Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (RMUoHP) celebrated 86 doctoral degree candidates of various healthcare specialties during its Friday commencement ceremonies.

Dr. Richard P. Nielsen PT, DHSc, ECS, founding president of RMUoHP, began the proceedings by addressing the students, “John Wesley said, ‘Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can [sic].’ That’s your charge, that’s your responsibility; to go forth and to do good, to build, to serve and to heal”

The graduating class receive their advanced degrees during the 20th Anniversary year of Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. Since its founding in 1998, there have been approximately 2,600 graduates in advanced healthcare specialties.

During his commencement speech, Dr. Michael Skurja, Jr., PT, DPT, ECS, co-founder and executive vice president of operations and director of continuing education, said, “I want to share with you three lessons I’ve learned over the years. First, be persistent. You will continue to face challenges. Second, develop communications skills. Communication between you and your patient is crucial. Take the time to listen and communicate clearly with them. Continue to be objective, don’t dwell on the past, seek wise counsel and persevere. Third, be respectful. You will be facing situations where you will be working with colleagues who have years of experience but who do not have a doctoral degree. They may recognize the ‘Dr.’ in front of your name or the initials behind, but that doesn’t mean they are automatically going to respect you. You have to earn their respect.”

“Treat your patients as individuals. Remember, integrity and your character are important. You should go the extra mile when necessary. Always practice evidence-based medicine. Avoid treatment fads. Read the literature and stay current.”

RMUoHP estimates that graduates currently treat tens-of-thousands of patients throughout the country every day, and over the course of their cumulative careers, will serve millions of people.

RMUoHP graduates experience:

  • a 97% student satisfaction rate
  • more than a 99% job placement rate
  • an overall graduation rate of 87%
  • a national board pass rate of 98-100%

During Saturday’s commencement, RMUoHP doctoral candidates represented the following degree programs:

RMUoHP is regionally accredited with the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education – the highest achievable in the United States. Additionally, RMUoHP is recognized for the following programmatic accreditation status:

  • APBTRFE—American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (Accreditation) – First PT neonatology fellowship program in the U.S.
  • ARC-PA—The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (Provisional Accreditation)
  • ASHA—Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Hearing-Language Pathology (Accreditation Candidacy)
  • CAPTE—Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (Accreditation)
  • CCNE—Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (Accreditation)