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Residency Practice Areas

ABPTRFE currently accredits physical therapist residency programs in Acute Care, Cardiovascular & Pulmonary, Clinical Electrophysiology, Faculty, Geriatrics, Neurology, Oncology, Orthopaedics, Pediatrics, Sports, Women's Health, and Wound Management.

Fellowship Practice Areas

ABPTRFE currently accredits physical therapist fellowship programs in Critical Care, Hand Therapy, Higher Education Leadership, Neonatology, Neurologic Movement Disorders, Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy, Performing Arts, Spine, Sports Division 1, and Upper Extremity Athlete.

Establishing A New Practice Area

ABPTRFE has outlined procedures to establish a new area of physical therapist residency or fellowship practice.

Accreditation Timeline and Overview

ABPTRFE meets three times annually to make initial accreditation decisions in January, May, and September based on the initial accreditation tracks (e.g., Track One, Track Two, Track Three), as outlined within the ABPTRFE Processes and Procedures.

Developing programs are encouraged to begin by reviewing ABPTRFE's Initial Accreditation Timelines and consult with ABPTRFE staff for planning purposes.

Interested programs should begin preparing for the application process by reviewing the Self-Evaluation Report and Exhibits a minimum of nine to 12 months prior to submitting the Application for Candidacy.

  • ABPTRFE 2025 Webinar Series

    Please join ABPTRFE for the following webinars scheduled in 2025. All webinars will be recorded and posted to the ABPTRFE website for those who are unable to attend. 

    • April 10, 1-2 p.m. ET
      Substantive and Non-Substantive Changes

      ABPTRFE is hosting a presentation on its substantive and non-substantive change policies. A review of what constitutes a substantive change versus a non-substantive change as well as timelines for reporting each type of change to ABPTRFE will be reviewed. The presentation concludes with a Q&A session.

      Register in advance for this webinar.

      After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

      Please email questions to ABPTRFE in advance of the webinar.

    • Aug. 14, 7-8 p.m. ET
      Guest Speaker: Call for Action: Excellence and Value in Residency Education

      ABPTRFE is hosting guest speakers Raine Osborne, PT, DPT, EdD and Matthew Briggs, PT, DPT, ATC, PhD who will share the results from a nationwide study and call to action. The presentation concludes with a Q&A session.

      Register in advance for this webinar.

      After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

      Please email questions to ABPTRFE in advance of the webinar.

    • Nov. 13, 1-2 p.m. ET
      Curriculum Mapping

      ABPTRFE is hosting a presentation on tips and tools on curriculum development and mapping to align instruction with desired program goals and outcomes. A review of tools and resources for curriculum mapping will be providing to facilitate programs thoroughly documenting what is taught and when based on requirements outlined with the specialty/subspecialty DRP and DFP. The presentation concludes with a Q&A session.

      Register in advance for this webinar.

      After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

      Please email questions to ABPTRFE in advance of the webinar.

Descriptions of Residency Practice

DRPs are used by programs to reduced unwarranted curriculum variability; provide residents minimum consistency in learning experiences for that area of practice; and streamline the accreditation process for reporting.

Descriptions of Fellowship Practice

DFPs are used to reduce unwarranted curriculum variability; provide fellows-in-training minimum consistency in learning experiences for that area of practice; and streamline the accreditation process for reporting