About Clinical Residency
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. A residency candidate must be licensed as a physical therapist in the state state where the program is located/clinical training will occur prior to entry into the program. Neither 'clinical residency' nor 'clinical fellowship' is synonymous with the terms ‘clinical internship.'
The clinical residency program must be completed with a minimum of 1,500 hours and in no fewer than nine (9) months and nor more than 36 months.
About Clinical Fellowship
A clinical fellowship program in physical therapy is a postprofessional planned learning experience in a focused advanced area of clinical practice. Similar to the medical model, a clinical fellowship is a structured educational experience (both didactic and clinical) for physical therapists which combines opportunities for ongoing clinical mentoring with a theoretical basis for advanced practice and scientific inquiry in a defined area of subspecialization beyond that of a defined specialty area of clinical practice. A fellowship candidate has either completed a residency program in a related specialty area, is a board-certified specialist in the related area of specialty, or has demonstrable clinical skills within a particular specialty area. Fellowship training is not appropriate for new physical therapy graduates.
A clinical fellowship program must be completed within a minimum of 1,000 hours and in no fewer than six (6) months and no more than 36 months.
List of Residency and Fellowship Programs
Residency vs. Clinical Internship
A clinical internship is a clinical education experience that is part of
the requirement for graduation from a physical therapist professional
education program (degree could be awarded before, during, or after the
internship). Residency and fellowship programs are postprofessional
programs that occur after the graduate physical therapist has obtained
their license to practice.
Benefits of Residency/Fellowship Programs
APTA highly advocates completing a residency or fellowship. As more programs are developed across the country, potential applicants will have an increased opportunity to complete a residency or fellowship program. Those physical therapists deciding to complete a postprofessional program and sit for the specialist exam are more marketable as specialized practitioners. In addition, individuals who complete the program(s) may have the opportunity to become involved with residency and fellowship programs (development, mentoring, etc.).
Application Process
A student may contact and apply to a program at any time. However, physical therapist (PT) licensure is required to be a resident. Some residencies required a period of professional experience prior to applying, but not all programs ask this. A residency program may deny admission to a new graduate who has not yet sat for their board examination. Some states offer temporary licensure to allow you to practice under the supervision of a certified PT while you await the passing of the board examination.
Interview schedules are dictated by each residency program individually. The time frame to begin and the length of the program may vary from program to program. Beginning in September 2013, a centralized application system (RF-PTCAS) will be available for applicants to apply programs.
Programs vary significantly in time requirements, clinical responsibilities, continuing education, and research involvement. The selection of a residency program should be based on the applicant's goals, learning style, and areas of interest. In addition to clinical hours and didactic coursework, some programs may offer the opportunity to participate in research, classroom teaching, observation with physicians, or in hands-on work with athletic teams.
Residency/Fellowship Costs
Each residency/fellowship program is different. Some programs charge tuition and/or an application fee, where others may provide a partial stipend or even a full salary with benefits.
Malpractice Insurance
All program participants are required to have malpractice insurance that covers them during clinical care at all facilities during the course of the program. Please check with the program to determine if malpractice insurance is provided by the program to the participant or if the participant must obtain their own malpractice insurance policy.
Foreign Educated PTs
For those individuals educated outside of the United States, eligibility to participate in a residency or fellowship program is dependent on the program. All individuals must be licensed to practice physical therapy in the state that clinical training will occur. For additional information on obtaining licensure for foreign-educated PTs please review the APTA website.
APTA Discounts
Participants of a credentialed residency/fellowship program are eligible for the discounted postprofessional student APTA membership if enrolled full time in the credentialed program when the therapist is due for membership renewal. Please refer to APTA Membership & Benefits page for information and forms required for this discounted membership rate.
In addition, physical therapists are eligible for the same discounted rate for all APTA conferences (CSM, Annual Conference & Exposition, National Student Conclave) while enrolled in a credentialed residency/fellowship program.