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While commencement is a special life moment for the graduates and their families, Salus University’s 127th commencement ceremony provided an extra special memory for sisters Chloe Barmat, MMS ‘23 and Sabrina Barmat, MMS ‘20 when Sabrina was honored to place the hood on Chloe.
“It was such an incredible moment for me to be able to watch her grow through the whole process like I did and come out on the other side having learned so much and gained so much knowledge,” said Sabrina, who graduated from the Salus University’s Physician Assistant (PA) Studies program three years prior.
That moment wasn’t lost on Chloe, who followed her sister’s path through the PA program.
“It was a really special moment for me,” said Chloe. “I think it’s really awesome that Salus allows alumni to come back and hood graduates.”
The Barmat family is no stranger to Salus. Father Larry is a reproductive endocrinologist who raised his family in Abington, Pennsylvania and worked for 20 years at Abington Hospital. While there, he served as a preceptor for Salus PA students.
“I became very familiar with the University and was very impressed with the students,” said Larry Barmat. “And, when my daughters became interested in the field, I was a big proponent of the school.”
For mother Lisa Barmat, it was a dream come true to see her daughters share that commencement moment on stage. “To see both of their dreams fulfilled and to see them share it together was absolutely amazing,” she said.
The ceremony, held Oct. 17, 2023, at the Kimmel Cultural Center in Philadelphia, conferred degrees on 67 students, including a Master of Science in Clinical Optometry with an International Advanced Studies certificate; Master of Science in Clinical Audiology; Master of Science in Vision Rehabilitation Therapy; Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies; Doctor of Audiology - Online Bridge Program; and Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedicine.
After receiving his hood, Mrinal Jha, AuD ‘23, gave a shout out to his daughter Ankita, from the stage.
“I said, ‘Yes, I did it, Ankita!’” said Dr. Jha, a speech-language pathologist who has his own speech-language and audiology clinics in New York. He wanted to restart his career as an audiologist and found the Salus Osborne College of Audiology Online Bridge program perfect for his needs.
His daughter heard the acknowledgment from the stage.
“I’m so proud of him. It was really cool to see him get his degree,” said Ankita Jha, who is a freshman at New York University (NYU). “I had no idea he was going to give me a shout out from the stage, but I’m glad I took a video. He’s fully a doctor and he’s fully smart now, so he has all the bragging rights.”
Keynote speaker Colin Chinn, MD, a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral and a colleague and friend of Salus president Michael H. Mittelman, OD ‘80, MPH, MBA, FAAO, FACHE, received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University. He also shared his personal history of eye care with the graduates.
“Over the course of those years, I have had many optometrists. The best and most professional were always graduates of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University,” said Dr. Chinn. “And, it’s not just the College of Optometry, that applies to the graduates of all the Colleges at Salus.”
Dr. Chinn noted he would like the graduates to remember four things as they begin their professional lives: teamwork, patient-centered care, lifelong education, and professionalism.
“Professionalism is showing up every day with a dedication to excellence and a commitment to continuous learning,” said Dr. Chinn. “It also means communicating effectively and always finding a way to be productive. Your patients will rely on you not only for your technical expertise but also your trustworthiness, reliability, and empathy.”
In his remarks, Dr. Mittelman urged the graduates to embrace the opportunities presented to them and to exercise the courage and determination they’ve demonstrated and transform them into accomplishments.
“You’ve all been given the gift and crucible of learning. Now it’s time to transform that into something more useful, sustainable, and unbounded: Your impact on the world as you serve others,” said Dr. Mittelman. “As you go from the relative security of the academic environment to the ‘real world,’ each of you will confront these challenges differently and successfully.”
The evening prior to commencement, the PA Class of 2023 held its Long White Coat ceremony at the Hafter Student Community Center on the University’s Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, campus.
Among the honors and awards presented that evening were the following:
“It means a lot to me. It means that I have been working hard to show clinical excellence and that I need to continue to work hard,” said Glass. “I tried to step out of my comfort zone as much as possible, ask a lot of questions, and look for constant feedback. And, I will continue to work hard to provide the best patient care I can as a PA."
The class also awarded a Pi Alpha honorary degree to Adam Moore, MHS, PA-C, ATC, adjunct professor in the PA program who passed away Sept. 26, 2023. “I would like to take a moment to thank professor Adam Moore who played a crucial role in our education,” said PA class president Kiera Wells, MMS ‘23. “He was always kind and caring and brought joy and laughter to any room he was in. We are all better for having had the opportunity to know him.”
Rachel Ditoro, EdD, MSPAS, PA-C, director of the University’s PA program, challenged the students to re-examine the “why” they chose a profession that allows one to provide patient care.
“I told you PA school was going to be really hard, probably one of the hardest things you’ve ever had to do. It’s mentally, physically and emotionally exhausting. I warned you that you would have days where you asked yourself if it was really worth it. Days where you would question, ‘Is this really what I want for myself?’” said Dr. Ditoro. “Those were the days when you needed to be reminded of your ‘why.’”
She noted that students’ why is a “touchstone and what grounds them when they start to lose sight of their path.”
“Now I’m going to ask you to think of your ‘why’ again, but from a different perspective. Remind yourself regularly that it’s the human connections that fill us up,” she said.
