Orthopedic physical therapy residency

Our mission

The Corewell Health West Orthopedic Residency Program mission is to provide physical therapists with an evidence-based mentored clinical practice utilizing an up-to-date curriculum and scientific inquiry to improve the health of their communities and become leaders in orthopedic physical therapy for clinical practice, research, and education. The program strives to implement strategic initiatives and continuous improvement to achieve this mission.

Program description
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The Corewell Health West Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency Program is designed to provide licensed physical therapists with advanced training in orthopedics. The program emphasizes the development of skills in clinical decision making, treatment strategies, and scholarly review of the latest evidence throughout the scope of outpatient rehabilitation. Participants will maintain a part-time clinical schedule and rotate through four clinical sites while working closely with senior clinical staff who will serve as mentors. This will allow the participant to gain specialized orthopedic training with a variety of settings and patient demographics. The program utilizes a rigorous, evidence-based curriculum coupled with dedicated time spent with a mentor to foster the development of strong clinical practice management skills. The participant will complete multiple interprofessional experiences in which they will join other medical professionals in clinical and surgical settings observing cases which correspond to their current curricular component. They will assist with instructing physical therapy topics in an academic setting in partnership with Grand Valley State University’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program. The participant will complete a monthly presentation which emphasizes their critical inquiry skills by reviewing the current literature in a journal club format. The final component to the curriculum will consist of a capstone project in which the participant will complete and present an orthopedic topic of their choice in a grand rounds format to the rehabilitation department at Corewell Health West.

The program curriculum is designed to prepare the participant to sit for the ABPTS Orthopedic Clinical Specialist Examination and is approximately 53 weeks in duration beginning the week prior to Labor Day of each year.

Program outcomes
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The American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE) has granted the Corewell Health West Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency Program candidacy status. Candidacy status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation. Achieving candidacy status is not an indication that ABPTRFE will grant initial accreditation. Participants who graduate from a program in candidacy status are not deemed to have completed an accredited program.

Upon graduation, the program will track participant performance on the ABPTS Orthopedic Clinical Specialist Examination and employment roles for a period of up to five years.

Dedicated Learning Experiences
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The curriculum will be based on the requirements detailed in the Description of Residency Practice from the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education.

Didactic Education will include:

  • Current Concepts of Orthopedic Physical Therapy, 5th edition published by AOPT with monographs addressing the following:
    • Integration and Application of the Scientific Method

    • The Cervical Spine

    • The Temporomandibular Joint

    • The Thoracic Spine and Rib Cage

    • The Shoulder

    • The Elbow

    • The Wrist & Hand

    • The Lumbar Spine

    • The Pelvic Girdle

    • The Hip

    • The Knee

    • The Foot & Ankle

  • JOSPT Clinical Practice Guidelines that align with the above listed monographs

  • Select MedBridge knowledge tracks

Experiential Learning

  • Mentoring Experience
    • A minimum of 208 hours over the duration of the program will be dedicated to one-to-one mentoring with clinical faculty

    • 156 hours of this experience will be provided while resident is acting as primary care provider

Other Learning Experiences

  • “Journal Club” discussion and presentations
  • Interprofessional observation experiences with other health care providers in both clinic and procedural settings

  • Prepare, assist, and deliver orthopedic skill and anatomy presentation to entry-level DPT students in partnership with Grand Valley State University

  • Participate with community-based activities offered by Corewell Health intermittently throughout the year

  • Capstone Presentation on an orthopedic topic in a Grand Rounds setting

Faculty
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Daren Johnson PT, MSPT
  • Mentor
  • Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopedics
  • 25+ years of orthopedic physical therapy experience and mentoring physical therapy students
  • MS PT, Grand Valley State University

Jason Mottes PT, DPT
  • Mentor
  • Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopedics
  • Graduate of Michigan Medicine Orthopedic Residency
  • 6 years of orthopedic physical therapy experience
  • DPT, Central Michigan University

Casey Stokes PT, DPT
  • Mentor
  • Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopedics
  • Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
  • 9 Years of orthopedic physical therapy experience
  • USATF level 2 Certified Coach
  • DPT, Central Michigan University

Gina Terhune PT, DPT
  • Mentor
  • Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopedics
  • 10+ years of orthopedic physical therapy experience
  • DPT, Grand Valley State University

Nate Twietmeyer PT, DPT
  • Mentor, Program Advisor
  • Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopedics
  • Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Sports
  • 10+ years of orthopedic physical therapy experience
  • DPT, Concordia University Wisconsin

Don Packard, PT, DPT
  • Director of Clinical Rehab Practice, Corewell Health West
  • Program Director

David George, PT, MSPT
  • Program Coordinator
  • 20+ years of orthopedic physical therapy experience
  • 15+ years as Site Coordinator of Clinical Education
  • 20+ years of clinical education experience
  • MS PT, Grand Valley State University

Minimum requirements
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  • Graduate of a CAPTE-accredited physical therapy program, or currently enrolled and in good standing in a DPT program with expected graduation date to enable to sit for the NPTE in July.
  • Licensed or eligible to be licensed to practice physical therapy in the State of Michigan by the start of the program.
  • Eligible for employment by Corewell Health.
  • APTA and Orthopedic Section membership by the start of the program.
Admissions process
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All applications are processed through the Residency and Fellowship Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (RF-PTCAS) and must include:

  1. Completion of application form
  2. Essay
  3. 3 professional letters of recommendation (1 academic, 1 professional, 1 applicant’s choice between academic and professional)
  4. Professional Resume 

Applicants will be evaluated on the following:

  1. Clinical and Mentorship Experience
  2. Clinical Orthopedics Experience
  3. Quality of Application Essay
  4. Letters of Recommendation
  5. Applicant’s Career Development Plan
  6. Academic Performance

The American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE) has granted the Corewell Health West Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency Program candidacy status. Candidacy status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation. Achieving candidacy status is not an indication that ABPTRFE will grant initial accreditation.

Contact us
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For those with questions about our orthopedic physical therapy residency program, please email the Program Coordinator.

Application criteria

Learn more about how to apply and what you need to include in your application.