SAINT FRANCIS UNIVERSITY

Physical Therapy Residency Programs

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Advance your Physical Therapy Career with a Residency Program at Saint Francis University

Saint Francis University in partnership with several external partners is proud to offer two post-professional physical therapy residency programs.  Both programs have been designed for licensed physical therapists interested in enhancing their knowledge and pursuing a career in the following specialty areas:

 

Orthopaedic Physical Therapy

Pediatric Physical Therapy

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Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Residency Program

The Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Residency Program at Saint Francis University is accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) as a post-professional residency program for physical therapists in orthopaedic physical therapy. This program allows a licensed physical therapist to gain additional knowledge in the orthopaedic physical therapy specialty area and prepares the resident to become a board certified orthopaedic physical therapist. The program is offered through a partnership with Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber, PA.

 

The Saint Francis University Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Residency Program is designed to advance the knowledge and skills of the resident in five (5) main areas:

 

  • Critical Inquiry/Evidence Based Practice
  • Educational/Consultation
  • Advanced Clinical Skills
  • Foundational and Clinical Sciences
  • Health Promotion, Fitness and Wellness

This program is designed to prepare the resident to take the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS) examination in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy.

 

 

  • Curriculum
  • Program Goals & Data
  • Admissions Process & Requirements
  • Program Affiliations

  • Curriculum 

    The program is 12 months in length beginning each year in September. A typical week in the Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Residency Program includes 2-4 hours of mentored practice, 30-35 hours of non-mentored practice, up to 10 hours of lab instruction and educational experiences, and 6 hours of other didactic work including self-study.
    Residents gain the advanced skills and knowledge in a variety of structured learning experiences. Approximate hours of the experiences are:

    Learning Experience Number of Hours
    Mentored Physical Therapy Clinical Practice 150
    Non-mentored clinical practice 1820
    Classroom / lab activities 104
    Observation of surgery 40
    State Conference/CSM 35
    Journal Club 52
    Additional continuing education (area of interest) 40
    DiSepio Institute Symposium (attendance and presentation) 15
    Research experience 60

  • Program Goals

    The goals of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Residency are;

    • To prepare residents to enter physical therapy specialty practice. 
    • To educate residents to use an evidence-based approach to support decisions and serve the needs of the consumers and society. 
    • To prepare residents to function as a clinical specialist in a complex health care environment.  
    • To facilitate residents’ ability to use advanced critical thinking and problem solving in professional practice. 
    • To educate residents to become advocates and ethical and caring practitioners of physical therapy.

    Program Data

    • Current Graduation Rate - 100%
    • Current Orthopedic Specialty Exam Pass Rate - 87%

  • Admission Requirements

    Preferred applicants are physical therapists who are interested in a career in orthopaedic physical therapy. Previous clinical experience and skills in orthopaedic physical therapy as well as research experience are preferred. New graduates are also welcome to apply.
    Applicants must also possess:

    • Current (or eligible) license to practice physical therapy in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    • Malpractice insurance
    • APTA Membership

    Application Process

    All residency applications are now being processed through RF-PTCAS http://www.abptrfe.org/RFPTCAS/ApplicantWebsite/ 

    If you experience difficulty with this link or have additional questions, please contact Mark Boland mboland@francis.edu

    Residency Dates: September 1 to August 31 (12 months)

    Application Deadline:  April 15th!  Apply today!

    Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Residency Program Brochure (PDF)

  • The residency is offered as a partnership between Saint Francis University and Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber The resident will be an employee of Windber Medical Center and will complete all non-mentored clinical practice hours at Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber as well as some mentored practice. Additional mentored clinical practice, as well as all instructional and educational experiences, will take place at Saint Francis University or via video teleconferencing/web-based interactive experiences.
    Additional affiliation agreements with clinical sites for the residency program will be considered on an individual basis.

"As a new graduate entering the work force, I found the orthopedic residency a huge benefit. The residency provided mentorship in the clinic that I would not have had otherwise. The didactic portion of the residency helped to narrow down all of the information learned in college and highlight the best techniques/treatments to use based on evidence. This helped me to provide more efficient and effective initial examinations and treatments. Overall, the residency was very beneficial in helping me to become more successful as a physical therapist in my first year as a clinician."
Kimberly Todaro, PT, DPT, OCS

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Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency Program

The Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency Program at Saint Francis University is accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association as a post-professional residency program for physical therapists in pediatric physical therapy. This program allows a licensed physical therapist resident to gain additional knowledge and training in the pediatric physical therapy specialty area and prepares the resident to become a board-certified pediatric clinical specialist. This residency is offered through several external clinical partners throughout the country.

 

  • Curriculum
  • Program Goals & Data
  • Admissions Process & Requirements
  • Program Affiliations

  • The program duration is 12 months beginning August 1. The curriculum consists of a variety of learning experiences including lecture, laboratory, case study, self-study, observation, time in mentored pediatric clinical practice, and non-mentored pediatric clinical practice.  Experience in multiple practice settings is provided.

  • Program Goals

    The goals of Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency are;

    • To prepare residents to enter physical therapy specialty practice.
    • To educate residents to use an evidence-based approach to support decisions and serve the needs of the consumers and society. 
    • To prepare residents to function as a clinical specialist in a complex health care environment. 
    • To facilitate residents’ ability to use advanced critical thinking and problem solving in professional practice. 
    • To educate residents to become advocates and ethical and caring practitioners of physical therapy.

    Program Data

    • Current Pediatric Specialty Exam Pass Rate - 100%
    • Current Graduation Rate - 100%

  • Admission Requirements

    Preferred applicants are physical therapists who are interested in a career in pediatric physical therapy.  Previous clinical experiences and skills in pediatric physical therapy, as well as research experience, are preferred, but not required.  New graduates are encouraged and welcome to apply. 
    Applicants must also possess:

    • Current (or eligible) license to practice physical therapy in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
    • Malpractice insurance

    Application Process

    Residency Dates: Residency Dates: August 1-July 31 (12 months)

    Application Deadline:  February 28th!  Apply today!

    All residency applications are now being processed through RF-PTCAS http://www.abptrfe.org/RFPTCAS/ApplicantWebsite/ 

    If you experience difficulty with this link or have additional questions, please contact;

    Kelly Bossola

    kbossola@francis.edu 724-612-5966

  • Program Affiliations

    The residency is offered through a partnership model.  The resident will be an employee of the partnering organization and will complete all non-mentored clinical practice hours, as well as most mentored practice at the partnering facility.   Additional mentored clinical practice, as well as all instructional and educational experiences, will take place at Saint Francis University or via face-to-face meetings at other locations or via video teleconferencing/web-based interactive experiences. 
    Additional affiliation agreements with clinical sites for the residency program will be considered on an individual basis.