Frequently Asked Questions
Are you still accepting residents during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Yes! The safety of our residents and faculty is our top priority, and we have put a plan in place to accept residents with appropriate PPE and precautions in place across all our clinical and teaching sites. Please see our COVID-19 information page for more details.
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 Residencies at the University of Washington. The cohort includes residents from Neuro, Acute Care, Pediatrics and Orthopedics. You will be taking certain 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 do accept new graduates into the program but require them to have completed one clinical affiliation in the area of specialty practice preferably three months in length.
Can I be considered if I am taking the NPTE examination in July?
Yes, however we strongly encourage all applicants to take the exam in April, as the processing time for your license can vary and Washington State licensure is required prior to the start date.
How long is the program?
The program is twelve months long, beginning in mid-September, and running through to the following September.
What areas of clinical practice does the residency cover?
The majority of the clinical practice occurs at Seattle Children’s Hospital. The resident will have rotations in Acute Care, Inpatient Rehab, and Out-Patient. In addition to these primary rotations, the resident will spend two weeks in the Seattle Public School system and two weeks in an early intervention setting Boyer Children’s Clinic. Throughout the residency year, the resident will also gain clinical experience with neurodevelopmental populations through the LEND program.
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 mentoring every week. Both the resident and the primary mentor will assist in identifying patients and topics for mentorship experiences.
How many hours per week will the resident work?
A typical work week for the resident will be 50-55 hours a week. This includes 32-40 hours of direct patient care, 2-10 hours of didactics and independent study, and 6-8 hours of teaching. The didactic hours will vary from quarter to quarter and are front-loaded to prepare the resident for the clinic.
Is the residency located in one site?
The clinical portion of the residency is located primarily at Seattle Children’s Hospital(SCH), the majority of didactics, UW LEND program, and teaching are located at the University of Washington(UW), 2 miles down the road. There is an employee shuttle between SCH and UW that runs frequently. Boyer Children’s clinic is 1.3 miles from the UW, and the Seattle public school will vary based on the caseload assigned to the mentor.
Is there tuition for the residency?
Tuition is $5500. It covers the cost of attending external continuing education conferences (CSM or Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy), the fees to take the pediatric specialty exam and administrative costs. The ABPTRFE PedsResidency and Fellowship Financial Fact Sheet is available for your review and completion.
Are there any scholarship opportunities?
There are currently no scholarships for the residency tuition. In cases of financial hardship, please reach out to the residency director for further discussion of the tuition structure and possibilities for support.
