Pursuing a Residency

By: Jennifer Fath, PT, DPT, MS, CSCS
APTA Student Assembly/TSPTA Core Ambassador

Residency Blog Post – Part I

This is the first part of a series of blog posts regarding residency programs. This specific post will cover why pursuing a residency can be beneficial for postgraduate training and education for new graduate physical therapists.

Why pursue a residency?

When I entered PT school in June 2013, I already had it in my plans that I would pursue a sports residency following my completion of PT school. The question that I have encountered time and time again is “why pursue a residency?” A residency may not necessarily be the best option for everyone right after graduation. In a time period when the costs of higher education are continuing to rise, it may not be feasible for some to take a reduced salary while furthering their training and/or education. My opinion is that PT school trains us as generalists and since I was very certain of the setting I wanted to work in, it made sense to expand my knowledge base in that specific specialty (sports). In this post, I would like to highlight a few reasons why I believe attending a residency is beneficial, particularly for a new graduate.

1) I want my patients to get better faster.   

Many patients get better without treatment if we just let their condition run its course. However, I do not want patients I am treating to get better simply because time passes by. With reimbursement rates and visits approved either remaining stagnant or decreasing, it is imperative that we as physical therapists are using the best evidence-based approach in treating our patients. For me, this includes incorporating research into treatment, but also using clinical experience, sound reasoning, efficient patient education, and effective communication to ensure we are getting the best results possible. Too many times we see patients who do not comply with a home exercise program/plan of care, or who fail to consistently show up for their appointments. The reality is that somewhere along the line we have failed to show our patients the VALUE of our treatments. I believe residencies can help solidify this value by not only advancing yourself clinically to improve patient outcomes, but develop your skills as an educator, researcher, and communicator. Just as we must treat the whole person, we must look to develop ourselves as people and not just as clinicians.

      2) MENTORSHIP

A residency provides structured mentorship time, challenges your ability to critically think, and eliminates SOME of the trial and error that you will encounter as a new graduate physical therapist. For APTA-credentialed residencies, the minimum number of hours of one-on-one mentoring time is 150. This is time that is preplanned to give you an opportunity for discussion with a clinical specialist. This time could be utilized to converse about a tough evaluation you had the previous day or help facilitate the advancement of your knowledge and clinical decision-making. Mentors are extremely valuable to the inexperience PT and solid mentorship can help lay out the building blocks for future success. It is important to remember that it is not possible to learn everything in PT school and that to be a successful physical therapist requires much more than just clinical knowledge. Good mentoring challenges you in your prospective field and can include discussions on anything ranging from communicating with patients, networking and marketing, and even documentation.

3) Exposure to a wide variety of opportunities.

A residency program can entail much more than improving your patient care. Many of the opportunities below make up components of residency programs.

·      Teaching at a local DPT program

·      Research

·      Event coverage (particularly for sports residencies)

·      Didactic courses

·      Resident/physician conferences

·      Time to shadow physicians

·      Interdisciplinary collaboration

This list is not all inclusive, but as you can see residencies are definitely designed to accelerate your professional development. A big part of a residency is advancing your skills as a healthcare provider in a specific specialty of physical therapy. However, the numerous opportunities available to you can advance your career with opportunities you may not have previously considered. While you may have always envisioned yourself working in the clinic, it may be eye-opening to see all of the other possibilities that exist in the field of physical therapy.   

4) Networking

The first thought for many, if not all, is that pursuing a residency will help enhance your clinical decision-making skills, improve differential diagnosis capabilities, and progress psychomotor performance. While these are all great points, I believe something that often goes overlooked is the ability for residencies to aid in professional development. Residencies are a big step in encouraging ongoing education and professional growth. With appropriate networking, connections, and professional development one can accelerate their development clinically both in the short and long-term.

5)  Improved Confidence

For new graduates, the transition to being a licensed PT can be terrifying. It is important, though, that we are always conscious of how we carry ourselves. Our demeanor can drastically change the outcome of a patient’s interaction with us. The more confident we appear, the more likely our patient is to trust our judgement and our treatment interventions. In many cases, confidence and competence can go hand in hand. It is likely that the more you learn, the more confident you will be. A residency can provide opportunities for you to enhance your knowledge and gain clinical-reasoning skills that ensure you know WHY you are doing a particular treatment, special test, and/or came to a specific physical therapy diagnosis. When you understand why and do not just simply go through the motions of assigning your patients 3 sets of 10 reps for all strengthening exercises across the board, you can truly be confident in your skillset. The greater confidence you display as a healthcare provider, the better outcomes you will have with your patients.

For those interested in pursuing a residency, there are currently 219 accredited programs in 9 specialties including Acute Care, Cardiovascular & Pulmonary (CCS), Clinical Electrophysiologic (ECS), Geriatrics (GCS), Neurology (NCS), Orthopedics (OCS), Pediatrics (PCS), Sports (SCS), Women’s Health (WCS), and Wound Care Management. Visit the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education website for more information.

If you have any questions regarding residencies, please contact Jennifer Fath at aptasa.coretx@gmail.com or leave a comment on this blog. 

About the author: Jennifer Fath is a recent graduate of Angelo State University in San Angelo, TX. She accepted a sports residency position with The Ohio State University and will begin her new position on July 25th. She received her Bachelor's degree in Sport Medicine from University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA while competing as a Division I athlete on the women's basketball team. Additionally, she received her Master of Science degree in Kinesiology from The University of Texas- Pan American. Her primary PT interests are in injury prevention and return to sport rehabilitation.