Curriculum
USA’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. The minimum length of our Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Residency is 12 months, and the maxmimum length is 36 months.
Clinical Requirements
- 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 of one-on-one mentoring in the clinic with a qualified and approved mentor, over the duration of the residency.
- Applicants may choose to pursue their Residency in the clinic they currently work, or find a position within a qualified and approved clinic anywhere in the United States.
Didactic Requirements
The didactic portion of the Orthopaedic Residency is based upon six (6) APTA Orthopaedic section monoliths. The curriculum covers examination, evaluation, and treatment of common orthopaedic conditions, and is organized into three (3) 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 Healthcare 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.
