The first doctor in his family, graduate Bolaji Oshin DPT ’25 reflects on the total transformation he experienced while pursuing his DPT degree at USC.

BY MICHELLE McCARTHY

AS BOLAJI OSHIN APPROACHES GRADUATION from USC’s doctor of physical therapy program, he stands at a remarkable intersection of reflection and momentum.

Oshin is the first doctor in his family, and his path to physical therapy has been anything but conventional — it has been one defined by perseverance, transformation and purpose.

Born in Baltimore, Md., Oshin’s early years were shaped by movement — literally and figuratively.

His family moved to Toronto, Canada, when he was 2, then back to Maryland at age 12, and finally settled in North Carolina for his senior year of high school. The son of Nigerian immigrants, Oshin credits his mother, who works in pharmaceutical sciences, and his retired father for instilling in him the value of education and resilience.

Though his older siblings went to Duke University and Emory University, Oshin took a different route — one that started on the football field.

“Honestly, I wasn’t the best student,” he admits. “I was the stereotypical football player.” But when a full academic scholarship took him to Elon University, academics became non-negotiable.

He studied exercise science, completed a study-abroad program in Australia and worked in a biomechanics lab. It wasn’t until a gap-year job at a neurorecovery center in North Carolina, however, that his future clicked into focus.

A Top-Tier Opportunity

“That job changed everything,” Oshin recalls. “Helping someone with a spinal cord injury stand up or walk for the first time — it hit me. That was the moment I realized physical therapy could be a form of healing, not just performance enhancement.”

When he was accepted into the USC DPT program — which is ranked among the top in the nation by the U.S. News & World Report — he knew it was the right place to continue his journey.

“I applied to 10 schools. I got into the University of Pittsburgh and USC. I thought, ‘If I’m going to invest in myself, I’m going all in.’ And USC offered that top-tier opportunity.”

What stood out most in his education were the program’s rigorous demands and the extended clinical rotations that immersed him in real-world practice. “They give you new eyes, ears and hands,” he says. “You walk away seeing human movement and function in a completely different way.”

Just Keep Moving Forward

Throughout his training, Oshin remained deeply focused on mastering his craft. Now, with graduation just days away, he’s fielding multiple job offers and preparing to fly to Maryland for an interview at Johns Hopkins University. He’s aiming for a role in acute care, cardiopulmonary or inpatient settings — where he feels his passion for impactful healing will thrive.

His advice for future DPT students? “Take it day by day. It’s OK to not be where you want to be right now. The process matters more than the moment. You don’t have to have it all figured out — just keep moving forward.”

As Oshin prepares to walk across the stage at Commencement — flanked by 13 family members and six close friends — he reflects with humility and pride. “They were worried about me,” he laughs. “But I just kept showing up. Time, effort and passion — that’s what got me here.”