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.