Orthopaedic Residency and Musculoskeletal Certificate

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.

Program Outcomes

• Residents have successfully completed the Arcadia University Orthopaedic Residency requirements at a rate of 98% (through 2019).
• Graduates of the Arcadia University Orthopaedic Residency have achieved a first time pass rate of 97% on the OCS exam offered by the ABPTS (through 2019).

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.

Apply/Register for a Course

• Register for a Course - Students may take two courses before formal application and matriculation. Acceptance into a course does not guarantee admission.
• Orthopaedic Residency Application - Arcadia University participates in the Residency and Fellowship Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (RF-PTCAS). Information about applying through RF-PTCAS.
• Musculoskeletal Certificate Application

Orthopaedic Residency Curriculum Requirements

VIEW REQUIREMENTS

Musculoskeletal Certificate Completion Requirements

VIEW REQUIREMENTS

Orthopaedic Residency Admission Requirements

VIEW REQUIREMENTS

Musculoskeletal Certificate Admission Requirements

VIEW REQUIREMENTS

Tuition and Costs 

Tuition can be found at www.arcadia.edu/gradtuition

Course Schedule

Summer

PT656 - Neuromuscular Tissues and Motor Control
PT680 - Evidence Based Practice and Clinical Reasoning 
PT789R1 - Independent Study-Orthopaedic Residency I

Fall

PT681 - Advanced Orthopaedic Practice: Cervical Spine, Thoracic Spine, and TMJ 
PT682 - Advanced Orthopaedic Practice: Upper Extremity-Shoulder Elbow, Wrist & Hand 
PT789R2 - Independent Study-Orthopaedic Residency II

Spring 

PT683 - Evidence Based Evaluation and Treatment of the Lumbar Spine and Sacroiliac Joint  - February 22-23, 2020
PT684 - Advanced Orthopaedic Practice: Lower Extremity-Hip, Knee, Ankle & Gait - April 25-26, 2020
PT789R3 - Independent Study-Orthopaedic Residency III

Program Faculty

Program Director

• Molly Malloy, PT, DPT, OCS, (CV), Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy

Faculty

• Brian Eckenrode, PT, DPT, OCS, (CV), Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy
• Elliot Greenberg, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
• Philip McClure, PT, PhD, FAPTA, (CV), Professor and Chair of Physical Therapy
• Carol Oatis, PT, PhD, Professor of Physical Therapy
• Scott Stackhouse, PT, PhD, (CV), Associate Professor of Physical Therapy
• Won Sung, PT, DPT, (CV), Adjunct Professor, Good Shepherd Penn Partners

Associated Faculty

• Jon Borger, M.P.T, OCS, FAAOMPT, Lehigh Valley Health Network
• Craig Fava, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, Optimum Physical Therapy
• Ken Guzzardo, PT, DPT, OCS, SCS, 3D Physical Therapy 
• Martin Kelley, PT, DPT, OCS, (CV), Adjunct Professor, Good Shepherd Penn Partners
• Dave Kietrys, PT, PhD, OCS, (CV), Associate Professor at UMDNJ-SHRP
• David Logerstedt, PT, PhD, SCS, University of Delaware
• Wendelin J. McCoy, PT, CHT, Good Shepherd Penn Partners
• Jeff Sallade, PT, DPT, OCS, SCS, CSCS, 3D Physical Therapy