Become an Expert Clinician
Become an expert clinician and prepare to sit for the orthopaedic clinical specialization examination offered by the American Physical Therapy Association’s Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.
The Arcadia University Orthopaedic Residency is accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association as a post-professional residency program for physical therapists in Orthopaedics.
What to Expect
- Applications for admission are accepted on a rolling basis.
- Clinical mentoring occurs at the resident’s current clinical practice site.
- Didactic curriculum utilizes a hybrid model of online learning and onsite manual skills laboratory sessions.
- Opportunities for involvement in research based on interest.
- Opportunities exist to teach in the entry-level DPT curriculum and to serve as mentors and lecturers for the residency curriculum upon completion of the residency.
- Residents able to qualify for deferment of student loans.
- The 18-credit residency program is one year in length.
- The program is affordable and competitively priced.
- Benefits to the resident include enhancing professional development, advancing knowledge and skill acquisition, and learning via direct mentoring.
- Residents will graduate with a Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy Certificate from Arcadia and be prepared to sit for the orthopaedic clinical specialization examination offered by the American Physical Therapy Association’s Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.
Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy Certificate Option
For those looking for advanced clinical and didactic orthopaedic physical therapy education but unable to commit to the mentoring component, the Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy Certificate is an option:
- The 12-credit program can be completed in one to three years.
- Students can take two courses before formal application and matriculation.
- There is no required course sequence.
- Coursework follows the Orthopaedic Residency Program
About the Orthopaedic Residency Program
The mission of the Orthopaedic Residency Program at Arcadia University is to develop and produce expert physical therapists who provide best practice using evidence in the examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, intervention, and outcome of musculoskeletal conditions.
Graduates of the residency will demonstrate orthopaedic competency in compliance with the Description of Specialty Practice as described by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS). This planned program of post-professional clinical and didactic education is structured to advance the knowledge and skills of the physical therapist in orthopaedic content.
This program is designed to provide sufficient content, knowledge and skills to prepare residents to sit for the orthopaedic clinical specialization examination offered by the American Physical Therapy Association’s Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.
Didactic Component
The didactic component of the program consists of six 2-credit courses. Two courses deal with general concepts relevant to the management of all musculoskeletal conditions. The remaining four courses are specific to certain regions of the body, and each includes relevant anatomy, biomechanics, imaging, medical screening as well as current best evidence related to examination and intervention with emphasis on the most prevalent conditions for each region. The regional course content includes a laboratory component for development of manual skills.
Laboratory Sessions: The courses in the program utilize a hybrid model of online learning with integrated manual skills laboratory sessions. The manual skills laboratory sessions will occur between 2 to 4 weekends per year. The program is highly interactive and capitalizes on the wealth of knowledge clinicians bring with them.
Mentoring Component
In addition, a mentoring component is required, which will be completed at the resident’s place of employment under the guidance of a board-certified orthopaedic clinical specialist or equivalent advanced certification. The residency will culminate in the completion of a final capstone project.
Benefits to the resident include enhancing professional development, advancing knowledge and skill acquisition, and learning via direct mentoring. Opportunities exist to teach in the entry-level DPT curriculum and to serve as mentors and lecturers for the residency curriculum upon completion of the residency.
Orthopaedic Residency Curriculum Requirements
18 credits
The didactic curriculum for the Orthopaedic Residency program consists of six, 2-credit courses. There is no required course sequence. An additional 6 credits of independent study are required to reflect the mentoring process.
The following courses are required.
- [COURSE:PT656] (2 credits)
- [COURSE:PT680] (2 credits)
- [COURSE:PT681] (2 credits)
- [COURSE:PT682] (2 credits)
- [COURSE:PT683] (2 credits)
- [COURSE:PT684] (2 credits)
- [COURSE:PT789] (6 credits total - 2 Fall, 2 Spring, 2 Summer)
Musculoskeletal Certificate Completion Requirements
12 credits
The curriculum for the Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy Certificate program consists of six, 2-credit courses (see above; aside from PT789). There is no required course sequence.
For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of our students who completed the program, and other important information, view Gainful Employment information.
