Physical Therapy
Residencies and Fellowships
The Institute for Academic Excellence at NSU is currently developing a Physical Therapy Residency in Neurology. Additionally, fellowships in the areas of traumatic brain injury and orthopedic manual therapy will be offered in the near future. It is our goal to have these programs credentialed by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).
The Neurologic Residency will be implemented in 2010 with 1-3 residents participating in the first training class. The goal of the Neurologic residency program will be to prepare trainees for independent advanced practice in neurologic physical therapy and to take the APTA’s neurologic clinical specialist examination.
The curriculum will provide an integrated environment of clinical excellence and educational effort by a team of professionals who are committed and knowledgeable in neurologic physical therapy and who are role models in the professional care of neurologic patients.
What is a clinical residency?
A clinical residency is a planned program of post-professional clinical and didactic education for physical therapists that is designed to significantly advance the physical therapist resident's preparation as a provider of patient care services in a defined area of clinical practice. It combines opportunities for ongoing clinical supervision and mentoring with a theoretical basis for advanced practice and scientific inquiry.
What is a clinical fellowship?
A clinical fellowship is a planned program of postprofessional clinical and didactic education for physical therapists who demonstrate clinical expertise, prior to commencing the program, in a learning experience in an area of clinical practice related to the practice focus of the fellowship. (Fellows are frequently post-residency prepared or board-certified specialists.) A fellowship program must possess a curriculum that:
- is focused, with advanced clinical and didactic instruction within a subspecialty area of practice;
- is intensive and includes extensive mentored clinical experience; and,
- provides a sufficient and appropriate patient population to create an environment for advanced clinical skill building.
What is the difference between a residency and a fellowship program?
A clinical residency program is designed to substantially advance a resident's expertise in examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, intervention, and management of patients in a defined area of clinical practice (specialty). This focus may also include community service, patient education, research, and supervision of other health care providers (professional and technical). Often, the residency experience prepares an individual to become a board-certified clinical specialist.
A fellowship program is designed to provide greater depth in a specialty or subspecialty area than that which is covered in a residency program. Additionally, applicants of a clinical fellowship program must be licensed as a physical therapist and possess one or more of the following qualifications:
- specialist certification,
- completion of a residency in a specialty area, or
- demonstrable clinical skills within a particular specialty area.
Lastly, the clinical residency program should be completed within a minimum of 1,500 hours and in no fewer than nine (9) months and no more than 36 months. A clinical fellowship program should be completed within a minimum of 1,000 hours and in no fewer than six (6) months and no more than 36 months. Programs whose timeframe falls outside of these parameters will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
- The program will be one year in length
- 1-3 residents will be accepted in the neurologic program
- Residents will practice full-time within the designated residency facility
- Each resident will attend a 60 minute meeting quarterly with the residency director from NSU to review progress
Clinical Practice
- Clinical mentoring / supervision will occur within the designated residency facility
- Supervised clinical practice = 1500 hours
- 1:1 clinical mentoring = 150 hours
Educational Experience
- Classroom Learning (didactic / psychomotor) = 75 hours
- Classes may be held on weekdays (day or evening), on weekends, or as online / independent studies.
Learning Experiences
- Resident directed learning activity = 50 hours
- May include the following: additional clinical experiences, teaching classes in the NSU curriculum, case-studies, community service activities, marketing/public relation activities
- Orientation and Introduction to the Neurologic Residency
- Advanced Neurologic Practice Overview
- Professionalism and Practice Management in PT Practice
- Diagnostic Testing and Medical Screening
- Pharmacology
- Evidence Based Practice and Research Methods
- Motor Control and Motor Learning
- Outcome Measures for the Neurological Patient
- Advanced Gait Examination and Treatment (including orthotics)
- Vestibular Examination and Treatment
- Management of the Neurological Patient
- Peripheral Disorders: GBS, ALS, CVA, TBI, SCI, MS, and PD