About Clinical Residency
A clinical residency is a planned program of postprofessional 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.
About 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 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: 1) is focused, with advanced clinical and didactic instruction within a subspecialty area of practice; 2) is intensive and includes extensive mentored clinical experience; and, 3) provides a sufficient and appropriate patient population to create an environment for advanced clinical skill building.
Residency vs. Fellowship
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 through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS).
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: 1) specialist certification, 2) completion of a residency in a specialty area, or 3) 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 time frame falls outside of these parameters will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
List of Residency and Fellowship Programs
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/Interview Timeline
A student may contact and apply to a program at any time. However, 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 exam. 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 exam.
Interview schedules are dictated by each Residency/Fellowship program individually. The time frame to begin and the length of the program may vary from program to program.
Residency Costs
Each Residency/Fellowship program is different. Some programs charge tuition and/or an application fee (upon acceptance), where others may provide a partial stipend or even a full salary with benefits.
Program Selection
Programs vary significantly in time requirements, clinical responsibilities, continuing education, and research involvement. The selection of a residency or fellowship 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.