Mar 28, 2024  
2015-2016 Graduate Catalog 
    
2015-2016 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Orthopaedic Residency Graduate Certificate


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Orthopaedic Clinical Residency


  • Arcadia University Orthopaedic Residency is accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association as a postprofessional residency program for physical therapists in Orthopaedics.
  • Arcadia University Orthopaedic Residency 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.
  • Clinical mentoring occurs at the resident’s current clinical practice site.
  • 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.

The mission of the Arcadia University Orthopaedic Residency 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 musculoskeletal content. This program is designed to provide sufficient content, knowledge and skills to prepare students to sit for the orthopaedic clinical specialization examination offered by the American Physical Therapy Association’s Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.

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 over 4 weekends per year. The program is highly interactive and capitalizes on the wealth of knowledge clinicians bring with them.

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 D.P.T. curriculum and to serve as mentors and lecturers for the residency curriculum upon completion of the residency.

Admission Requirements

Arcadia University Orthopaedic Residency Arcadia University participates in the Residency and Centralized Application Service

Centralized Application Service (RF-PTCAS). Information about applying through RF-PTCAS can be found through: http://www.abptrfe.org/RFPTCAS/ApplicantWebsite/

To apply to the Arcadia University Orthopaedic Residency https://portal.rfptcas.org/applicants14/index.cgi?rm=home

The following program-specific requirements must be met:

  • Proof of graduation (transcript) from a physical therapist degree program accredited by an agency approved by the U.S. Department of Education (currently CAPTE) with a GPA of 2.75 or higher
  • Current state professional license
  • (offer of admission to the program is contingent upon licensure in the state of practice)
  • Three written essays:
    • What do you wish to gain through participation in a residency/fellowship program?
    • Discuss aspects of your background and professional experience that particularly qualify you for participation in a residency/fellowship program?
    • What are your future plans as they relate to a specialized/subspecialized area of physical therapy?
  • Three written recommendations (2 references at a minimum must be professional references-Clinical Instructor, Professor, Supervisor, etc.)
  • Basic computer skills including Internet and e-mail.
  • Computer system requirements that can be found at http://www.arcadia.edu/academic/arcadia-online-student-computer-requirements

Tuition and Fees

2015-16 Tuition: $800 per credit
2015-2016 Package Tuition: $9600
2015-2016 Residency administration one-time fee: $2000 (discount available)

Arcadia University Orthopaedic Residency Requirements


(18 credits)

The didactic curriculum for the Arcadia University Orthopaedic Residency program consists of at 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 initial courses are required


  • PT 656 Neuromuscular Tissues and Motor Control (2 credits)
  • PT 680 Evidence Based Practice and Clinical Reasoning (2 credits)
  • PT 681 Cervical-Thoracic Spine and Temporomandibular Joint (2 credits)
  • PT 682 Upper Extremity: Shoulder, Elbow, Wrist & Hand (2 credits)
  • PT 683 Lumbar Spine and Sacroiliac Joint (2 credits)
  • PT 684 Lower Extremity: Hip, Knee, Ankle, & Gait (2 credits)
  • PT 789 Independent Study (6 credits total-2 Fall, 2 Spring, 2 Summer)

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