Frequently Asked Questions
How many residents do you accept each year?
We currently accept one resident into the program. The resident is part of the cohort of Physical Therapy Residency at the University of Washington. The cohort includes Neuro, Acute Care, Pediatrics, Orthopedics, and Sports residents. You will be taking specific didactic modules together throughout the year (professionalism, leadership, advocacy, development of expert practice, and journal clubs, to name a few).
How much experience do I need to apply?
We accept new graduates into the program but require them to have completed one clinical affiliation in acute care practice, preferably three months in length.
Can I be considered if I take the NPTE examination in July?
We strongly encourage all applicants to take the exam in April, as the processing time for your license can vary, and you may not have it by the start date in mid September.
How long is the program?
The program is fifteen months long. It will start in September and run to the following December. The first twelve months are spent in the clinic. The last three months are spent teaching in the Division of Physical Therapy at the University of Washington.
What areas of clinical practice does the residency cover?
The resident will rotate through a variety of rotations: surgery(includes orthopedics), medicine, cardiopulmonary, oncology, and their respective intensive care units. The sequence of this rotation is determined annually based on previous resident feedback and primary mentor availability.
What does the teaching component of the residency involve?
The resident serves as a teaching assistant in two classes for second-year DPT students. The resident will develop skills in backward design and be responsible for presenting one lecture independently as the primary instructor. In addition, the resident will have an opportunity to be a clinical instructor for the students participating in an integrated clinical education session in the acute care setting.
What does the leadership component of the residency involve?
The resident will participate in and lead some aspects of a quality improvement project for either the clinic or the Division of Physical Therapy. There are structured didactics around this leadership activity. The resident will give a formal presentation regarding this project at the end of the year.
How much mentoring will the resident receive?
The resident will receive mentoring in every setting. On average, there will be three to four hours of weekly mentoring. The resident and the primary mentor will assist in identifying patients and topics to be mentored on. The resident will also receive mentoring in teaching during their last three months of the residency.
How many hours per week will the resident work?
A typical work week for the resident will be 45-50 hours. This includes 36 hours of direct patient care,2-10 hours of didactics and independent study, and 2-4 hours working on their quality improvement project . The didactic hours will vary from quarter to quarter and are front-loaded to prepare the resident for the clinic. During the last three months of the residency the resident will be working full time at the division of Physical Therapy at the University of Washington.
Is the residency located in one site?
The clinical portion of the residency is located at the EvergreenHealth Medical Center; there is potential for educational experiences at Harborview Medical Center and Northwest Hospital. Most didactics and teaching are located at the University of Washington(UW), in a building attached to the medical center.
Is there tuition for the residency?
Tuition is $5000. It covers the cost of some external continuing education (CSM or ICU course), the fees to take the CI credentialing course, and the cost of operating the residency. The ABPTRFE Acute CareResidency and Fellowship Financial Fact Sheet 10.30.2023 is available for you review and completion.
Are there any scholarship opportunities?
Unfortunately, at this point, we are not able to offer any tuition scholarships.
What is the application process like?
The application is completed through RFPTCAS. It involves filling out an application, writing a personal essay, submitting three references, and an interview(either in-person or via zoom). The application deadline is February 1st each year. Interview are conducted in early March and offers are made in coordination with Academy of Acute Care Residency and Fellowship SIG universal decision day and shared applicant pool. This is a work in progress. More details around this will be shared during the interview process
