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Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Sports Physical Therapy has partnered with the Department of Physical Therapy, Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences at Northeastern University to offer a 13-month full-time clinical residency program for physical therapists interested in pursuing a career in sports physical therapy.
This program advances the knowledge and clinical competency of sports physical therapists as well as fostering a culture of continued learning and scientific inquiry while demonstrating a commitment to patients, students, and athletes at all levels.
Through academic, research, and clinical collaboration, we promote robust learning experiences and offer a unique opportunity to be an integral part of an interprofessional healthcare system working with recreational, high school, collegiate, and professional athletes.
Our mission is to impact the health and wellbeing of the global community by developing leaders in physical therapy, movement, and rehabilitation sciences through interprofessional experiential education, translational research, and excellence in clinical practice.
The program consists of didactic courses, reinforced through clinical mentoring and practice/experiences.
Degree type:
– Residency (non degree). Prepare to sit for the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS) Sports Specialty Certification Exam
– Accredited by ABPTRFE (American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education)
Study options:
– On ground (Boston Campus)
– Full-time only
– 13 months
Application deadline: Nov 1
GRE: Not required
F1 Eligible: No
The MGH/NU Sports Physical Therapy Residency Program:
Residents will demonstrate advanced knowledge and skills in sports physical therapy.
We will provide residents with a high-quality, interprofessional sports physical therapy experience.
Within five years post completion of the residency program, graduates will demonstrate qualities of an advanced clinician including serving as an educator, providing service to the profession and being active with scholarly activity.
The MGH/NU Sports Physical Therapy Residency Program is sustainable.
Provide excellent, evidence-based patient care by obtaining the knowledge, skills and abilities of an advanced practice physical therapist in sports and musculoskeletal care.
Demonstrate specialist level clinical decision making and psychomotor skill in sports/musculoskeletal examination and intervention.
Add value to the Northeastern University Department of Physical Therapy, Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences and Mass General Sports Physical Therapy Service. Demonstrate professionalism in communication, instruction and collaboration.
Communicate with others such as patients/clients/athletes, referral sources, payers, administrators, physicians, athletic trainers, and other members of the health care team to effectively advocate for the patient/client/athlete and the profession.
Be prepared to sit for the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS) Sports Specialty Certification Exam.
The twelve monograph series “Current Concepts in Orthopedic Physical Therapy” will be utilized in a self-study fashion with discussion following each monograph.
Residents will also complete the Sports Certified Specialist Examination Prep course monographs. These monographs will also be utilized in a self-study fashion with discussion after completion of each monograph.
Your learning will be further supplemented by weekly journal review sessions. These sessions will be of current literature that coincides with content that follows monograph review as well as content within the academic teaching curriculum. Review sessions will include the resident, Residency Director as well as other clinical staff at the MGH Sports Physical Therapy clinic in order to have a robust discussion and facilitate critical thinking.
Residents will also have consistent access to other educational opportunities to enhance the learning experience. The additional opportunities may include:
You will have the opportunity to instruct in the DPT program at Northeastern University. As a lab teaching assistant, you will help in the Musculoskeletal Management courses with the Residency Director, who will provide ongoing mentoring to promote professional development as an educator.
As a resident you will be expected to review and prepare for the material being covered in each lab session which will coordinate much of the didactic curriculum embedded in the residency. You’ll be involved with student presentations, assisting with providing feedback to students on technique, promoting high-level clinical decision making during case discussions, as well as providing feedback specific to performance on written and practical examinations.
Year Accredited: 2015, 2020
Number of graduates: 20
Graduation Rate: 100%
SCS Exam Pass Rate: 95%
American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education — ABPTRFE
Dr. Julio Fulcar, PT grew up in Watertown, Massachusetts, where he developed a passion for sports and movement that led him to play collegiate soccer at Syracuse University. He later earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Delaware, where he built a strong foundation in evidence-based rehabilitation and patient-centered care. Prior to joining Massachusetts General Hospital, Julio practiced with MedStar Health in the Washington, D.C. area, where he treated a wide range of orthopedic and sports-related conditions.
Julio is passionate about helping individuals regain confidence in their movement and believes the ultimate goal of rehabilitation is to foster autonomy and agency. He strives to empower patients with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to take an active role in their recovery, helping them achieve lasting success beyond the clinic. Julio’s clinical interests include leveraging objective data and performance testing to guide end-stage rehabilitation and return-to-sport decision-making, ensuring patients are prepared to safely and confidently return to the activities they love.
Dr. Niall Curley, PT, DPT, CSCS is a native of the greater Boston area who has had a deep love and passion for sports since childhood. Fueled by this passion, Niall earned his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Massachusetts Amherst majoring in Sport Management. In undergrad, He completed internships with the Boston Red Sox Foundation, Cape Code Baseball League, and dedicated his time as a Hockey Operations Assistant for the University of Massachusetts Hockey team.
Niall would go on to earn his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Miami. During his time at the University of Miami, he would pursue internships with the Olympic Sports Nutrition team and the Olympic Sports Strength and Conditioning teams. Niall founded the Cardiopulmonary Special Interest group and served as the APTA/FPTA class representative at the University of Miami.
Niall is a certified strength and conditioning specialist with experience working in the clinical setting with University of Miami Baseball, along with many professional baseball, hockey, and football athletes. His special interests include aerobic reconditioning of athletes after injury, rehabilitation of the overhead athlete, and manual therapy techniques. Outside of the clinic Niall loves his dogs and many cats. He is a passionate fan of Boston Sports and Manchester United. Niall enjoys spending time with his family and participating in recreational sports with his Fiancée. His goal is to provide his patients with the tools to improve their quality of life and optimize their athletic performance through thoughtful and evidence-based care.
MGH Sports Physical Therapy clinic responsibilities begin in July and continue throughout the entire sports clinical residency program (13 months). Athletic venue coverage typically begins in August.
Residents will participate in 30 hours of patient care at MGH Sports Physical Therapy Clinic each week and 10 hours each week in the athletic training room. Residents caseload will consist of a wide variety of orthopedic and sports related conditions throughout all body regions.
In addition to the clinic schedule, there will be ongoing athletic venue coverage and athletic training room opportunities. These opportunities occur throughout the thirteen-month residency and are specific to athletic season rather than direct correlation with curricular content. The athletic venue exposure will include but not be limited to the following:
Mentoring will occur throughout the entire thirteen month experience. Two 120 minutes unopposed mentoring sessions are scheduled with the Residency Faculty weekly. During these sessions the Residency Faculty observes the resident’s active patient care and provides feedback and mentoring to them.
There will be thirty minutes pre and post patient encounters along with the thirty to sixty minutes for the patient encounter itself. In addition to the time that is scheduled each week with the Residency Faculty, there will be ongoing opportunities for mentoring and discussion during athletic venue experiences with other program faculty.
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For the RF-PTCAS application, you will need the following documentation:
Resumé/Curriculum Vitae
Three letters of recommendation
One letter should be from a former supervisor or clinical instructor you worked with, one should be from a faculty member at the institution you received your DPT degree from, and then a third of your choice.
Copy of official transcript from the College/University you received your PT degree from.
Copy of all professional licenses (MA state licensure is required before beginning the residency program)
Copy of APTA membership and APTA of Massachusetts Membership (required prior to the start of the program)
Copy of completion of one of the following: EMT licensure, ATC licensure, or completion/registration for Emergency Response Course (one of these needs to be completed before beginning residency program).
Essay: Please answer each part individually in no more than 300 words each.
In addition to the RF-PTCAS application, kindly submit the $50 non-refundable application fee.
Please reach out to:
David Nolan, PT, DPT, MS, OCS, SCS, CSCS
Director, Sports Physical Therapy Clinical Residency Program
617-373-5268 (Office)
[email protected]
The Mass General Hospital/ Northeastern University Sports PT Residency Program is participating in the Sports Physical Therapy Residency MATCH for the current application cycle. Our interview date for the 2027-2028 cohort is January 20, 2027.
This process will fill our two available positions for the 2027-2028 cohort with a planned start date of July 6, 2027.
If you receive and accept an offer to interview with our program, all MATCH communication will come through the Sports Specialization Committee, [email protected]
Please reach out directly to [email protected] if you have specific questions about the MATCH.
Good luck – we are looking forward to reviewing your application!
