Physical Therapy
Physical Therapy Residency Programs
The Academic Excellence Institute at NSU is currently developing a Physical Therapy Residency Programs in Neurology and Orthopedics. It is our goal to have these programs credentialed by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).A clinical residency program in physical therapy is a postprofessional planned learning experience in a focused area of clinical practice. Similar to the medical model, a clinical residency program is a structured educational experience (both didactic and clinical) for physical therapists following entry-level education and licensure that is designed to significantly advance the physical therapist's knowledge, skills, and attributes in a specific area of clinical practice (i.e. Cardiovascular/Pulmonary, Orthopedics, Sports, Pediatrics, etc). It combines opportunities for ongoing clinical mentoring, with a theoretical basis for advanced practice and scientific inquiry based on a Description of Specialty Practice (see definition below) or valid analysis of practice for that specific area of clinical practice. When board certification exists through ABPTS for that specialty, the residency training prepares the physical therapist to pass the certification examination following graduation.
For more general information on physical therapy residency programs visit: http://www.abptrfe.org/
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), a national professional organization representing more than 80,000 members throughout the United States, established the specialist certification program in 1978. Specialization is the process by which a physical therapist builds on a broad base of professional education and practice to develop a greater depth of knowledge and skills related to a particular area of practice. Clinical specialization in physical therapy responds to a specific area of patient need and requires knowledge, skill, and experience exceeding that of the physical therapist at entry to the profession and unique to the specialized area of practice.
The specialist certification program was established to provide formal recognition for physical therapists with advanced clinical knowledge, experience, and skills in a special area of practice and to assist consumers and the health care community in identifying these physical therapists.
For more information on physical therapy specialist certification visit: http://www.abpts.org/
- The residency program is 12 months in length and will begin in August 2014
- 1-2 residents will be accepted during each residency cycle
- Residents will practice full time (32 hours per week) in a specialty clinical setting
- Residents are paid for their clinical work