Doctor of Physical Therapy

The Orthopedic Residency involves a myriad of structured, evidence-based learning opportunities to maximize Resident competence and mastery of orthopedic clinical practice. This program entails the resident being hired by UWSP and providing physical therapy services in a community partner clinic within driving distance of UWSP. This structure maximizes resident understanding of clinical practice models in community partner clinics that are strategically selected to maximize resident exposure to an array of patient cases. Between time at UWSP and the community partner clinic, the resident will engage in mentorship, clinical practice, teaching, and guided learning opportunities.

• Program Length: 13 months
• Annual Salary: $55,000
• Benefits: Full-time UWSP employee, medical benefits optional
• Maximum Positions Available: 4 per year
• Start Date: January
• Financial Fact Sheet

Want to talk with the residency director about the residency program? Email Nathan Brown, PT, DPT, Ed.D., OCS, to set up a time to learn more.

Mentorship

• Residents are paired with a mentor with orthopedic clinical expertise and training in residency mentorship
• Residents receive >150 hours 1-on-1 mentored evaluation and treatment session
  • With additional protected time for mentored case and chart reviews
• Residents participate in group mentorship through case rounds and journal club participation

Clinical Practice

• Residents perform >1700 hours of clinical practice in a community partner clinic
• Residents perform >50 hours of clinical practice in the UWSP Integrated Clinical Practice Clinics

Teaching and Mentoring

• Clinical instructor for current DPT students in the Integrated Clinical Practice Clinics 
• Lab assistant in DPT clinical laboratory settings, performing instruction and assessment
• Guest instruction in DPT musculoskeletal curriculum or for community events

Guided Learning

• >300 educational hours
  • 5 Modules: Foundations of Practice, Proximal Upper Quarter, Distal Upper Quarter, Proximal Lower Quarter, Distal Lower Quarter
  • Independent learning modules
  • Expert-led discussion groups
  • Expert-led laboratory intensives
• Physician and surgical observation
• Specialty clinic observation

Community Partner Sites

• Advanced Physical Therapy
• Health in Motion
• New Life Physical Therapy
• Pinnacle Performance Therapy
• Roberts Physical Therapy
• Stevens Point Orthopedics 

Application Information

• Application Opens: Aug. 14
• Application Deadline: Sept. 11

Application Materials

• One Professional Letter of Recommendation
• Resume
• Unofficial transcripts of all institutions attended 
• DPT Diploma (if DPT degree is completed)
• Responses to two Essay questions (maximum of 500 words each)
  • Why are you pursuing an orthopedic residency experience with UWSP and how will it support you in becoming the physical therapist you aspire to be?
  • What does it mean to you to be a high value provider for your patients, community, and organization?

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Once applications are reviewed, eligible applicants will be invited to an interview process that will help determine final offers for resident positions. Interviews will take place in early October.

Coming Soon.

• Pass rate for the American Board of Physical Therapy  Specialist Exam – Orthopedic (OCS)
• Resident Completion Statistics

The UWSP Physical Therapy Residency Program is designed for physical therapists who are passionate about advancing their clinical expertise, developing teaching skills, expanding leadership skills, and preparing for specialty practice. The program is well suited for recent graduates as well as practicing clinicians seeking structured mentorship and advanced training.

Our residency is embedded within both a physical therapy education program and in community practices, providing opportunities to maximize growth from both entities. Being within the physical therapy education program provides residents with opportunities to develop as clinicians, educators, and scholars. Residents benefit from individualized mentorship, advanced clinical experiences, involvement in teaching and laboratory instruction, and collaboration with faculty and students within the Doctor of Physical Therapy program. Additionally, residents perform clinical practice and mentorship in community-embedded clinics, exposing them to various practice models and developing skills in becoming a high-value provider.

The residency is a full-time, 13-month experience that integrates: 

• Advanced clinical practice 
• One-on-one mentorship with experienced clinicians and residency faculty 
• Didactic learning activities 
• Teaching and laboratory assistance within the DPT program 
• Scholarly and professional development opportunities 
• Preparation for specialty board certification 

The program is intentionally designed to support the development of advanced clinical reasoning and professional leadership skills. Practically, you will spend four days (32 hours) a week in a community-embedded clinic performing physical therapy services including mentored practice and one day (eight hours) per week at UWSP performing teaching, instruction and mentoring responsibilities with current DPT students. 

Residents are eligible to receive full UWSP benefits, including healthcare. If residents have their own healthcare insurance coverage, they are able to waive these benefits for a potential op-out incentive. 

Residents work closely with residency faculty and clinical mentors throughout the program. Mentorship includes direct observation, case discussions, clinical reasoning sessions, feedback on patient management, and professional development meetings. Mentorship experiences are integrated throughout the residency year to support continuous growth. You meet with your mentor two times per week during direct patient care and have uninterrupted debrief sessions with your mentor.

Yes. Residents have opportunities to assist with instruction in the UWSP Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. Teaching experiences may include laboratory assistance, student mentoring, skills instruction and other educational activities under faculty supervision.

The residency curriculum is aligned with specialty practice standards and is designed to prepare residents for advanced specialty certification examinations. Residents engage in structured didactic learning, mentorship, case-based discussions and clinical experiences that support preparation for board certification.

Applicants must have graduated from a CAPTE-accredited physical therapy program and be eligible for physical therapy licensure in Wisconsin. Additional application requirements, deadlines and materials can be found in the residency admissions information section.

Application requirements may include: 

• One Professional Letter of Recommendation 
• Resume 
• Unofficial transcripts of all institutions attended  
• DPT Diploma (if DPT degree is completed) 
• Responses to two Essay questions (maximum of 500 words each)
  • Why are you pursuing an orthopedic residency experience with UWSP and how will it support you in becoming the physical therapist you aspire to be? 
  • What does it mean to you to be a high value provider for your patients, community, and organization? 
• Other information requested within the application 

Please refer to the admissions page for the most current requirements. 

Applicants should submit one professional letter of recommendation from an individual who can speak to their clinical abilities, academic performance, professionalism, and potential for success in a residency program.

Once applicants are accepted into the residency program, there is a matching process. This matching process includes the future resident providing a prioritized list of preferred clinical sites and the clinical site providing a prioritized list of accepted residents. The residency program will match residents to a site based on preferences and capacity for both parties.

Yes. The UWSP Physical Therapy Residency is a paid position. Information regarding salary, benefits, and employment details is available during the application and interview process.

Residents have access to educational resources, mentorship and professional development opportunities throughout the program. Additional support for conferences and continuing education activities may be available and will be discussed during the residency program.

Residents work with a diverse patient population given our strategic placement of residents in rural clinics and participate in a variety of clinical experiences designed to broaden their expertise and strengthen advanced clinical decision-making skills. Experiences are selected to support development in specialty practice and prepare residents for advanced professional roles. For areas of specific interest, we collaborate with specialty clinics to provide additional exposure to unique patient conditions.

Yes. Residents may participate in scholarly activities alongside UWSP faculty and students. These experiences can include case presentations, literature reviews, educational projects, quality improvement initiatives, and other forms of professional scholarship.

Graduates of residency programs are well positioned for specialty board certification, advanced clinical practice, leadership opportunities, teaching roles and continued professional development. The residency experience is designed to accelerate growth as an expert clinician and lifelong learner. 

How is the residency divided between clinical practice, teaching, mentorship and coursework? 
The residency integrates all four components throughout the year. Residents engage in patient care while also participating in structured mentoring sessions, educational activities, teaching experiences and guided professional development. Residents typically engage in 32 hours of patient care and eight hours of educational activities each week. 

How often do residents meet with their mentors? 
Residents work closely with mentors throughout the residency through scheduled meetings, clinical observation, case discussions and ongoing feedback. They are scheduled two times per week to provide consistent, regular feedback. 

Are residents part of the DPT faculty team? 
Residents contribute to the educational mission of the UWSP DPT Program through teaching assistance and student engagement while working under the supervision of faculty members. They are not considered faculty members of UWSP DPT. 

How is resident progress evaluated? 
Residents receive ongoing formative feedback and formal evaluations throughout the year to support development of advanced clinical knowledge, skills, and professional behaviors. This includes evaluation during actual patient care, written exams and assessment of the competencies of resident practice.