Department of Physical Therapy, Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences
 

Sports Physical Therapy Clinical Residency Program

Massachusetts General Hospital 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.

Mission

The mission of the Massachusetts General Hospital / Northeastern University Department of Physical Therapy, Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences Sports Physical Therapy Residency Program is to advance the knowledge and clinical competency of sports physical therapists as well as to foster a culture of continued learning and scientific inquiry while demonstrating a commitment to patients, students and athletes at all levels.

The mission is achieved through academic, research and clinical collaboration promoting robust learning experiences and a unique opportunity to be an integral part of an interprofessional health care system working with recreational, high school, collegiate and professional athletes.

Accreditation
ABPTRFE Accreditation
Abptrfe Logo

Goals and Objectives:

1) Support the mission of the Northeastern University Department of Physical Therapy, Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences and the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTs).

Objectives

  • The program will provide a structured residency program that integrates critical thinking, education and research within an interdisciplinary sports medicine system.
  • The program will provide a structured residency program that promotes professionalism, humanistic values and commitment to lifelong learning.

2) Facilitates excellence in Sports Physical Therapy patient care by offering sports medicine experiences that develop advanced clinical competence and excellence in sports medicine.

Objectives

  • The residency will require the physical therapist to complete a minimum of 1500 hours including clinical practice, such as: Pre-participation screening, clinic and on-field evaluations, wellness evaluations, functional testing for return to activity.
  • The residency will require at least 40% of clinical practice to consist of a sports physical therapy case load.
  • The residency will require a minimum of 200 hours of collegiate, professional, or high school athletic event experience including contact and non-contact activities, pre- and post-practice groundwork, event coverage, sport injury care and rehabilitation. Event experience includes pre-practice injury prevention, acute injury management as well as emergency and catastrophic injury response.
  • The residency will require a minimum of 150 hours of direct 1:1 mentoring with a licensed physical therapist who holds the SCS credential. Additional mentorship will be provided by the Team and other Physicians, ATC, PT/ATC, SCS, and OCS.
  • The resident will be involved in a minimum of 75 hours of didactic classroom/lab instruction which will include in class/lab work as well as home study courses covering the Current Concepts of Orthopedic Physical Therapy monographs, the Sports Certified Specialist Exam Preparatory Course, and the ten APTA Professionalism Modules.
  • The residency will require the physical therapist to participate in a variety of non-patient care educational experiences including: Journal Review, Sports Physical Therapy Grand Rounds, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Conference, Interdisciplinary Sports Medicine Case Conference, Orthopedic Surgery Grand Rounds, Primary Care Sports Medicine Grand Rounds, clinical and evidence based research, surgical observations, Cardiovascular Performance Program observation, sports concussion clinic observation, and experience teaching within laboratory classes at Northeastern University.
  • The residency will develop the clinical and didactic teaching skills of the resident, promoting an academic environment where clinical knowledge is freely shared through dialogue and interdisciplinary education. The resident will obtain experience in academic instruction within the Physical Therapy Program at Northeastern University.

3) Develops physical therapists that have the professional skills required to successfully complete the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties certification in Sports Physical Therapy.

Objective

  • The residency will include didactic and clinical experiences that will develop advanced clinical competence in the areas of foundational knowledge, rehabilitation and return to activity, acute injury/illness management, sports science, medical/surgical considerations, injury prevention/wellness, and critical inquiry outlined in American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties certification in Sports Physical Therapy Description of Specialty Practice

4) Provides a curricula for a post professional program in sports physical therapy that integrates patient centered care and interprofessional collaboration with evidence based practice and critical inquiry.

Objective

  • The residency will include didactic and clinical portions which will address all aspects of the DSP.

Didactic Experiences

  • The twelve monograph series “Current Concepts in Orthopedic Physical Therapy” will be utilized in a self-study fashion with discussion following each monograph.
  • The resident 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.
  • The resident will complete the 10 module (25 hour) online course on professionalism through the APTA learning center. This will be a self-paced experience but is required to be completed in the first six months of the residency.
  • The resident is also required to complete two courses at Northeastern University during the residency: PT5165 Sports Medicine: Managing the Injured Athlete and PT6233 Advanced Clinical Processes: Special Topics in Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.
  • The resident’s 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.
  • The resident will also have consistent access to other educational opportunities to enhance the learning experience. The additional opportunities may include:
    • Department of Orthopedic Surgery Grand Rounds at MGH
    • Primary Care Sports Medicine Grand Rounds at MGH
    • Sports Medicine and Shoulder Conference at MGH
    • Interdisciplinary Sports Medicine Case Conference at MGH
    • Sports Physical Therapy Grand Rounds at MGH
    • Local and/or National Conferences

Clinical Experiences

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. The resident will participate in 30 hours of patient care combined in-clinic and at athletic venue/athletic training room. Approximately 15-20 hours of this time is shared with the Residency Director. Three to four hours of this weekly shared time is scheduled as “unopposed mentoring”. The resident’s 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:

PT Clinical Residency

  • Northeastern University Athletics: Venue and Athletic Training Room
  • Boston Bruins: Pre-season testing & game coverage
  • BAA 5K, 10K, Half Marathon medical coverage
  • BAA Boston Marathon medical coverage
  • Special Olympics Summer Games medical coverage
  • MGH Sports Physical Therapy Clinic

Clinical Mentoring

The mentoring will occur throughout the entire thirteen month experience. There will be two 120 minutes unopposed mentoring sessions scheduled with the Residency Director each week. During these sessions the resident provides care and the Residency Director observes the resident’s patient care and provides mentoring to the resident. There will be thirty minutes pre and post patient encounter 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 Director there will be ongoing opportunities for mentoring and discussion during athletic venue experiences with other program faculty.

Experiential Education

Residents utilize a variety of experiential learning opportunities to further develop clinical reasoning skills within sports physical therapy including simulation learning and learning assessment activities.  Through simulation learning students are able to actively engage in patient management of acute sports related injuries and examine and refine their expertise.

 

SIM Lab Trans
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Teaching Experience

The resident will have the opportunity to instruct in the DPT program at Northeastern University. The resident will be a lab teaching assistant in PT5506 Lab for Musculoskeletal Management I in the Fall semester, PT6224 Lab for Musculoskeletal Management II in the Spring semester, and PT6216 Lab for Assistive Technology in the Summer semester. In each of these courses the resident will be in teaching labs with the Residency Director who will provide ongoing mentoring to promote professional development as an educator. The resident will be expected to review and prepare for the material being covered in each lab session which will coordinate of much of the didactic curriculum embedded in the residency. The resident will be involved with presenting information to the students, 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.

Residents

Emma Taylor NU

Emma Taylor
PT, DPT, CSCS

Dr. Emma Taylor, of Tenafly, NJ, earned her doctorate in Physical Therapy from Northwestern University in 2018, during which time she also became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. She holds a dual Bachelor of Science degree in Health: Science, Society & Policy and Psychology from Brandeis University, where she was a four-year member of the Varsity Women’s Soccer team. At Brandeis, she was recognized by the University Athletic Association four times for her outstanding academic record and contributions to her team.

A lifelong athlete, Emma is a devotee of a wide variety of sports, both as participant and spectator. She strives to promote health through movement: as a physical therapist by applying the most current evidence-based practice to her patient care, and as a volunteer, by raising funds and helping athletes of all abilities achieve their potential. In 2015, Emma ran the Chicago marathon to benefit the Les Turner ALS foundation and in 2017 guided a wheelchair athlete from the Achilles International organization through the New York City marathon. Her most recent personal athletic accomplishment is the completion of two 70.3 Ironman triathlons.

Dr. Taylor’s clinical interests include lower extremity injuries, the overhead athlete, and athletes with post-concussive syndrome. She is a member of the Academy of Orthopedic Physical Therapy and the Sports Physical Therapy Section of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) as well as the Massachusetts chapter of the APTA.

Merritt Walker NU

Merritt Walker
PT, DPT

Dr. Merritt Walker grew up in Northern California, however decided to head East for college where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science with a minor in Psychology from Virginia Tech in 2014. While at Virginia Tech, Merritt gained valuable experience working with the men’s football, women’s basketball and women’s softball teams, which led to his continued interest in pursuing a career in sports medicine. Merritt recently graduated from Duke University in May 2018 where he received his Doctorate of Physical Therapy Degree. While at Duke, he continued to stay involved in athletics working for various Major League Baseball organizations as well as local colleges.

As a multi-sport athlete growing up, Merritt has always been involved in sports, however initially developed an interest in sports medicine after sustaining a back injury in high school. Although this injury forced him to abruptly end his own athletic career, the experience gave him a better understanding of the rehabilitation process and what it takes to return to sports both mentally and physically. During his free time, Merritt likes to stay active and outdoors, whether it be through exercise, intramural sports, or riding his longboard through the city.

Sports Residency Program News

Apply for MGH/Northeastern University Sports Physical Therapy Clinical Residency Program

Requirements for Application for Sports Physical Therapy Clinical Residency Program

Application Deadline: December 1, 2018

Please complete the online application through RF-PTCAS. 

Within the online application you will be required to upload/complete:

  • Resume/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 required before beginning residency program)
  • Copy of APTA membership and APTA of Massachusetts Membership (required)
  • 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.
    • Discuss your interest in pursuing a sports physical therapy residency.
    • Please discuss the qualities you possess that would make you a strong candidate for the MGH/NU Sports Physical Therapy Clinical Residency Program.
    • Please list three components that you feel make up an exceptional residency experience.
    • Please provide three personal goals for the 13 month MGH/NU Sports Physical Therapy Clinical Residency Program.
    • In your own words, please define professionalism.

 

In addition to the RF-PTCAS, complete the application form and submit with $50 non-refundable fee (Check made out to “Northeastern University”). 

Application form, fee and any additional documentation should be post marked by 12/1/18 and mailed to the following address:

David Nolan, PT, DPT, MS, OCS, SCS, CSCS
Director, Sports Physical Therapy Clinical Residency Program:
Northeastern University Department of Physical Therapy, Movement and Rehab Sciences
301 Robinson Hall
360 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
617-373-5268 (Office)
d.nolan@northeastern.edu (E-Mail)

Sports Physical Therapy Clinical Residency Important Dates:

Application Deadline: December 1, 2018

Interview Day: January 17, 2019

Notification Day: March 1, 2019

Residency Start Date: July 1, 2019

Residency End Date: July 31, 2020

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