The Clinical Orthopaedic Residency offers physical therapists the opportunity to enhance their clinical skills through post-professional training in examination, evaluation, clinical reasoning, manual therapy skills, and patient management based upon the practice dimensions described in the “Description of Specialty Practice for Orthopaedic Physical Therapy.”
Participants can also earn academic credit toward the tDPT or EdD programs at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences.
Program Basics
- Length of residency: Minimum of 12 months; maximum of 36 months
- Prerequisites: Licensed or eligible for licensure
- Patient-care hours: 1,030
- Mentored hours: 160 (1:1 hours)
- Location: Any qualified clinic in the United States
- Curriculum: Online and seminars
- Journal club: Attend 12 and must lead 3 (online or in clinic)
- Case rounds: Attend and present at 12 case rounds (online or in clinic)
- Case presentations: Attend and present 3 case presentations
- Conference requirement: Attend one professional conference
- Scholarly requirement: Submit 1 poster presentation
- Start times: Terms and didactic coursework begin January, May, and September; clinical start time is flexible
Mission Statement
The mission of the Clinical Orthopaedic Residency program at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences is to graduate physical therapists who have achieved competency of skills in both clinical and didactic learning in orthopaedic physical therapy.
Program Learning Outcomes
The following are the goals and outcomes for the Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Residency program of University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences:
- The graduate of the Orthopaedic Residency program will achieve competency in orthopaedic clinical practice.
- The Orthopaedic Residency program will maintain the standards and enhance the development of clinical mentors for the residency program.
- The Orthopaedic Residency program will ensure standards of the orthopaedic residency as per the APTA accrediting process.
Admission Requirements
All applicants to the Clinical Orthopaedic Residency program must complete an application/admissions process. This residency program is intended for recent graduates, as well as clinicians who want to accelerate their current clinical orthopaedic knowledge and skill. Applicants must be licensed or eligible for licensure and must be licensed before starting the program.
APTA now has a centralized application system for residencies and fellowships: RF-PTCAS. You may apply to USAHS’s Clinical Orthopaedic Residency through RF-PTCAS.
Documents that must be submitted include the following:
- RF-PTCAS Application for Admission
- Essay
- Official transcripts from all previous institutions of higher learning
- Two references from professional colleagues
- Current resume which lists continuing education involvement and professional publications
- Copy of professional state license
- Current photograph
Program Requirements
USAHS’s Clinical Orthopaedic Residency is a demanding clinical and didactic learning experience, designed to graduate physical therapists with competency of skills in orthopaedic physical therapy.
Clinical
- A minimum of 1,030 patient-care hours including treatment in the following body regions: cervical spine, thoracic spine, lumbar spine, pelvis-SI, craniomandibular, hip, knee, ankle, foot, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand
- 160 hours (over the duration of the residency) of one-on-one mentoring in the clinic with a qualified and approved mentor
Applicants may choose to pursue their Orthopaedic Residency in the clinic where they currently work or find a position within a qualified and approved clinic anywhere in the United States.
Didactic
The didactic portion of the orthopaedic residency is based on 6 APTA Orthopaedic section monoliths. The curriculum covers examination, evaluation, and treatment of common orthopaedic conditions and is organized into three terms: Spine, Upper Extremity, and Lower Extremity.
Additional Requirements
- Participate in 12 journal clubs; lead 3 (online or in the clinic)
- Participate and lead 12 case rounds (online or in the clinic)
- Complete health care observations, mentored clinical exams, and clinical skills checklists
- Present 3 formal case presentations
- Attend 3 residency skills labs (1 per term: Spine, Upper Extremity, Lower Extremity)
- Attendance at 1 professional conference
- Produce a scholarly product which is disseminated to the professional community (e.g., poster and/or platform presentation, publication in peer reviewed journal)
- Opportunity to teach and mentor entry-level DPT students, depending on location and if desired
Instructional mediums will include individual study of curriculum, case scenarios, written and online examination, interactive web-based learning experiences, group discussions and review, and one weekend lab session each term.
Program Tuition and Fees
- RF-PTCAS application fee
- Administrative fee: $10,000.00 for the duration of the program
- APTA Monoliths (curriculum): $410.00
- Cost of APTA/Ortho Section membership dues
- Cost of attendance and travel to the Clinical Instructor (CI) Credentialing Course and professional conference
- Cost of travel to the three required residency skills labs on the St. Augustine, Florida, campus
- Cost of malpractice insurance
- Residents will be mentored in an outpatient orthopaedic clinic by a qualified mentor while completing didactic components: If applicable, mentor fees for clinical mentoring are negotiated between resident and mentor.
Accreditation
The Clinical Orthopaedic Residency program was reaccredited in 2016 by ABPTRFE as a postprofessional residency program for physical therapists in clinical orthopaedics.
Notice:
The Clinical Orthopaedic Residency program is not under the purview of the Commission for Independent Education.
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