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Residency and fellowship programs build on physical therapists' foundational knowledge and facilitate the development of advanced practitioners with enhanced skills in a defined area of practice.
Mentoring develops residents and fellows-in-training who elevate the quality of patient care and enhance the profession.
Programs focus on advancing skills and knowledge including educational techniques, research methodology, clinical skills, and administrative practices. The comprehensive curriculum integrates these combined skills and knowledge specific to a defined area of practice that is consistent with the program's mission, goals, and outcomes.
Clinical Residency Practice Areas
ABPTRFE currently accredits clinical physical therapist residency programs in the following areas:
- Acute Care
- Cardiovascular & Pulmonary
- Clinical Electrophysiology
- Geriatrics
- Neurology
- Oncology
- Orthopaedics
- Pediatrics
- Sports
- Women's Health
- Wound Management
Clinical Fellowship Practice Areas
ABPTRFE currently accredits clinical physical therapist fellowship programs in the following areas:
- Critical Care
- Hand Therapy
- Movement System
- Neonatology
- Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy
- Performing Arts
- Spine
- Sports Division 1
- Upper Extremity Athlete
Accreditation Guidelines
- Processes and Procedures
- Clinical Program Quality Standards
- Crosswalk of Changes to Quality Standards for Clinical Programs: 2018 to 2023
Program Development Resources
- Mentoring Resource Manual
- CEU course: Successful Mentorship for Residency and Fellowship Education
0.8 CEUs (8 contact hours) - Online course: Successful Mentorship Webinar
Free via APTA's Learning Center - Cost Benefit Analysis
- Core Competencies of a Physical Therapist Resident
Application Templates
Application Resources
- Webinar: Exhibits 2 and 3 | Exhibits 2-3 Flow Chart
- Video: Developing Exhibit 2 | Exhibit 2: Guidance Instructions and Example
- Video: Developing Exhibit 3 | Exhibit 3: Guidance Instructions and Example
- Video: Quality Standard 2: Curriculum Development
- Video: Quality Standard 5: Assessments
- Clinical Accreditation Report Rubric
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
