Curricula
Residency and fellowship programs must be based on a recognized practice analysis to be credentialed by APTA. Such patterning ensures consistent standards of instruction for prospective residents, their future employers, and even their future patients. A clinical residency curriculum may be based on part or all of the most recent Description of Specialty Practice (DSP) (formerly Description of Advanced Clinical Practice or DACP) in the related specialty area (eg, orthopedics, cardiopulmonary, etc.). For areas of practice where a DACP or DSP does not exist, a practice analysis must be submitted to the Committee for approval to become the basis of the curriculum. Guidelines for conducting a practice analysis are available on the Clinical Residency and Fellowship Program Credentialing webpage.
Because fellowship programs are always in subspecialty areas, a DACP or DSP is too broad to serve as an acceptable practice analysis. Therefore, a fellowship program must submit an equally acceptable practice analysis in the subspecialty.
Residency and fellowship programs vary in their content as well as available continuing education. Some programs provide a more didactic curriculum while others are more clinically based. Selection of a specific program should be based on the applicant's goals and areas of interest.
Specialties and Subspecialties
Programs have the option of submitting a curriculum in a specialty or subspecialty area, or in other special interest areas, as long as the curriculum is based on a valid practice analysis. The curriculum must also have a well-defined systematic process for establishing its content validity that describes practice in a defined area. Residencies may be created in a specialty or subspecialty area; fellowships should have a curriculum based in one or more subspecialty areas. Specialized and subspecialized programs must include postprofessional education and training in the scientific principles underlying practice applications. In specialty areas where validated competencies have been identified, the curriculum should be based on those competencies. In addition, the curriculum should be consistent with the Guide to Physical Therapist Practice.
Total Duration
A clinical residency program should be completed within a minimum of 1500 hours in no fewer than nine (9) months and no more than 36 months. A clinical fellowship should be completed within a minimum of 1000 hours in no fewer than six (6) months in duration and no more than 36 months. Programs whose time frame falls outside of these parameters will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Clinical Practice Time
The amount of time devoted to clinical practice should be determined according to what is necessary to achieve the program's curricular outcomes. For example, programs in orthopaedics allocate approximately 10% of their overall hours to clinical practice.
In addition to determining the appropriate number of practice hours, the program must also decide how many of these hours will be spent in one-to-one mentoring. It should be noted that some practice areas, such as manual therapy fellowships and sports residencies, have additional requirements for credentialing.
Clinical Residency and ABPTS Specialist Certification
Graduates of a credentialed residency program are eligible to sit for the next ABPTS board certification examination following their graduation date. A resident must submit their application for the ABPTS examination by the July application deadline specified by ABPTS. If the examination application deadline occurs before the resident has graduated the program, the resident must still apply for the examination by the July deadline. These residents will receive a conditionally approved status from ABPTS provided all other application requirements have been fulfilled. Once the resident has graduated, submission of proof of graduation (e.g., graduation certificate) to ABPTS is required and at that time ABPTS will update the applicant's status to fully approved.
If a resident is participating in a noncredentialed program and plans to apply in July for the next ABPTS board certification examination using Option B (completion of a residency program), the resident's program must submit for credentialing by March 1 prior to the July board certification examination application deadline. Any applications received by ABPTS for board certification by a resident whose program has not applied for credentialing by March 1 will be denied eligibility to sit for the examination through Option B. The resident would still have the option to apply for the examination through Option A (completion of direct patient care hours) should they meet all application requirements.