Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency Program

Overview

The program is designed to provide residents with a year-long intensive study of orthopedic physical therapy, preparing them to become advanced practitioners and to sit for (and pass) the Orthopedic Clinical Specialist Exam offered by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. The clinical time during the residency, which includes structured one-on-one mentoring, comprises approximately 90% of a typical week. The remainder of the time is spent completing didactic training, research, exam preparation, presentations, assistant teaching and shadowing physicians related to the overall curriculum of the residency program.

Credential Conferred

The credential conferred is the Certificate of Completion of Post-Professional Residency in Orthopedic Physical Therapy.

Length of Program

The program begins on December 1 and lasts for 12 months.

Program Entrance Date

Residents will begin working in the clinic during the first week of September, and the residency officially starts on December 1. This allows residents to acclimate to the use of EMR and the flow of patient care for a seamless transition into the residency program.

Salary
As team members of AdventHealth during the residency period, residents are expected to see patients for 36 hours per week (32 hours of clinical practice in addition to four hours of one-on-one supervised clinical practice with a mentor). Compensation for a resident is 90% of a comparable staff physical therapist's salary.

Tuition

While enrolled in our orthopedic residency program, there is no fee for tuition or specialized training. The resident is required to purchase Current Concepts or Orthopedic Physical Therapy prior to beginning the formal residency.

Benefits

Residents are eligible for benefits through AdventHealth. This includes employer-supported health and dental insurance, disability and life insurance and paid time off. This is not an all-inclusive list, and applicants may receive a full description of benefits upon request.

Financial Fact Sheet

Please CLICK HERE for our financial fact sheet.

Residents receive didactic training on numerous topics related to orthopedic physical therapy, which are expected knowledge areas published in the current Description of Specialty Practice (DSP) for orthopedic physical therapy.

Classes are taught by AdventHealth faculty. The research component runs throughout the residency, with individualized reviews and meetings with the appropriate research faculty member approximately every other month.

Residents are also expected to participate in community education, screenings, journal clubs, case presentations and rounding with physicians or specialists to gain exposure to all aspects of the orthopedic DSP.

Each resident receives:

• 109.5 hours of classroom and lab instruction
• 180 hours of mentoring while treating patients
• 1600 hours of clinical practice
• Approximately 200 hours of resident-directed learning activities

The content of the classroom, lab and clinical training in this residency encompasses the following areas:

• Clinical reasoning
• Professionalism
• Spine physical examination and manual
• Treatment procedures
• Lower quadrant physical examination and manual treatment procedure 

Education Schedule

All didactic classes are on Sundays and held in the clinic at the Orlando Sportsplex from 8am to 5pm.

December
Orientation/Professionalism/Clinical Reasoning

January
Lumbar Spine: Examination and Management

February
Sacroiliac Joint/Hip: Examination, Differential Diagnosis and Management

March
Thoracic/Rib: Examination and Management

April
Knee: Examination and Management/Regional Interdependence of the Lower Quarter Kinetic Chain

May
Foot/Ankle: Examination and Management Biomechanical Evaluation, Including Orthotics/Shoe-Wear Recommendations

June
Cervical Spine: Examination and Management

July
TMJ Syndrome: Examination and Management Research Consultation

August
Shoulder: Examination and Management

September
Elbow: Examination and Management

October
Wrist and Hand: Examination and Management

Doug Allen, PT, MPT, ATC, OCS
Program Director

David Garcia, PT, DPT, OCS

Justin Hess, PT, DPT, OCS

Katie Hoffman, PT, DPT, OCS

Irma Henry PT, DPT, OCS

Sheila Klausner, PT, DPT, OCS, COMT, CSCS

Laura Podschun, PT, DPT, OCS, COMT, CSCS

Julian Richards PT, DPT, OCS

Madison Robbins, PT, DPT, OCS

Sam Singleton, PT, DPT, OCS

Applications must be submitted through the RF-PTCAS system. The application deadline is December 31 to be considered for a residency slot that commences in the fall of the application year.

Applications submitted by the deadline are evaluated by the program director based on the following criteria:

• Academic education and background
• Clinical education, internship and mentoring experiences
• Research experience and interest
• Clinical experience in orthopedic physical therapy
• Interest in the advancement of the profession
• Letters of recommendation, including prospective clinical resident evaluation tool

Acceptance is based on interest, ability and aptitude for a career as an orthopedic physical therapist. Residents must meet the admission criteria set forth by the advisory committee. This includes (but is not limited to):

• Graduation from CAPTE-accredited physical therapy program
• Current license in good standing to practice physical therapy in the state of Florida
• Completed application form

AdventHealth employs residents during their residency, so acceptance into the program is contingent on meeting all AdventHealth Human Resources hiring process requirements.

The program's policy is to recruit, admit and retain participants on a nondiscriminatory basis. The program does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, gender, age, national or ethnic origin, marital status, sexual orientation, disability or health status.

Applicants requesting disability accommodations must file a request (detailing necessary accommodations) in writing to the program director.

Residents are eligible for benefits through AdventHealth. This includes employer-supported health and dental insurance, disability and life insurance and paid time off. This is not an all-inclusive list; applicants may receive a full description of benefits upon request.

The residency program is fully accredited by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE).

The typical timeframe for the application/ admission process is as follows (may vary slightly due to scheduling of all involved parties):

Application deadline:
October 1 to December 31

Interviews with Admissions Committee in February

Selection of residents completed in March

• Program Completion Rate since inception: 100%
• Pass Rate of Orthopedic Clinical Specialty Board Certification Exam since 2011: 95%
• Employment Rate of Residents post completion at AdventHealth since 2020: 83%
• Awards and Recognitions: Irma Henry and Doug Allen are authors for CSM 2024 platform presentation:
  Does Participation in a Residency Improve Low Back Pain Outcomes