Orthopedic physical therapy residency

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.

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.

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:

• 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

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

• 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

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

• 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

• Director of Clinical Rehab Practice, Corewell Health West
• Program Director

• 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

• 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.

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.

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