It has been argued that the advancement of the physical therapy profession will rely, in part, on post-graduate education and therapist specialization. One path for this professional development is designed after the medical school model - to involve clinicians in a Residency Program. Residency programs train therapists in a defined specialty area, providing significant one-on-one mentorship in a hands-on environment and through a structured program that ensures optimal growth and development in the specialty area for each resident. The goal? Well, one big one is to make PTs stronger, more confident, and more skilled so as to further demonstrate that they are musculoskeletal experts (hello, direct access). You can find many other arguments for residency program advantages, including those articulated in an August 2006 article for an APTA newsletter.
Therapeutic Associates’ Orthopaedic Residency Training Program is APTA-accredited and one of the only private practice-based ortho residencies in the entire west coast area. It is an intensive, comprehensive, and individualized program designed to enhance a therapist’s clinical and leadership skills in orthopedic, manual therapy in a private practice setting. Comprised of some didactic learning (including NAIOMT Levels I and II), clinical mentorship, and direct patient care (as each resident is a salaried, benefitted TAI employee), it will not only make you a better and stronger therapist, but will also prepare you for the OCS exam or the NAIOMT Fellowship Program.
Our Residency program is most suitable for new grads or therapists earlier in their career, but is open to any TAI therapist. There are two entry dates per year and an application process, all of which is described on our Ortho Residency webpage. On average, most residents complete the program in about 2 years time. You can be a resident and practice out of any of our clinics in the company. An important thing to keep in mind is that we work with each resident to design a timeline and budget individually.
The APTA is a great resource for general information on Residency and Fellowship programs. To chat more about Therapeutic Associates’ Ortho Residency Program, receive one of our Residency brochures, connect with our current residents, or ask questions of our program faculty, email me at ldillon@taiweb.com.
