Physical Therapy Resident – Orthopedic Residency Program

Vanderbilt University Medical Center•Nashville, TN

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Physical Therapy Resident – Orthopedic Residency Program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is a 1-year, full-time, salaried term position designed for early-career physical therapists. Developed in partnership with Belmont University, this program prepares residents to become Orthopedic Clinical Specialists (OCS) through structured clinical practice, didactic coursework, interdisciplinary collaboration, and expert mentorship. Residents will evaluate and treat patients with a wide range of orthopedic conditions, including post-surgical, sports, spine, and complex musculoskeletal cases, progressing their clinical decision-making skills using evidence-based practice and managing increasing patient complexity. The program includes a minimum of 150 hours of one-on-one clinical mentoring, 75 hours of structured didactic coursework, and weekly teaching, lab, and observation experiences across various VUMC services and specialty clinics. This residency offers a unique opportunity for professional growth within an academic medical center environment dedicated to advancing health and wellness through patient care, education, and research.

Requirements

Doctorate or degree in Physical Therapy from an accredited program
Active Tennessee Physical Therapy License is required prior to hire
Relevant Work Experience
Less than 1 year experience
Bachelor's degree

Nice To Haves

Early-career physical therapist who is highly motivated to pursue advanced training in orthopedic physical therapy and eventual board certification as an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS).
Strong communication and collaboration skills
A commitment to evidence-based practice
Professional curiosity and receptiveness to feedback
Interest in delivering high-quality outpatient orthopedic care within an academic medical center environment

Responsibilities

Evaluate and treat patients with a broad spectrum of orthopedic conditions, including post-surgical, sports, spine, and complex musculoskeletal cases.
Progress clinical decision-making skills using evidence-based practice.
Manage increasing levels of patient complexity and independence over the course of the residency.
Collaborate with an interdisciplinary care team to deliver high-quality outpatient orthopedic care.
Analyzes comprehensive information from formal and informal assessment that is pertinent to the patient's care and management to determine a rehabilitation treatment diagnosis.
Collaborates with stakeholders in establishing the plan of care, coordinates and implements care delivery while anticipating patient care needs across the rehabilitation continuum.
Applies appropriate, evidence-based interventions to ensure effective outcomes and re-evaluates performance to assess patient's progress towards goals.
Employs strategies to promote successful return to home, community, and school/vocational environments.
Demonstrates proficiency in documentation practices. Documents in the appropriate templates and utilizes only approved abbreviations within patient documentation. Meets institutional standards for quality and timeliness of documentation.
Demonstrates proficiency in evaluating patients with physical deficits including impairments, developmental disabilities, functional limitations, disabilities, or changes in physical function by obtaining information pertinent to the assessment and administering and scoring standardized tests and objective measures of deficit areas.
Selects appropriate measures and performs a functional assessment to document patient's status requiring skilled therapy.
Interprets the results of the assessment and their significance to the patient, family, referring physician and other members of the health care team.
Demonstrates sufficient proficiency in developing a plan of care that incorporates treatment interventions focused on meeting objective goals.
Develops and documents patient focused short and long term goals that are functional and measurable.
Identifies the need for and referral to other services, as needed.
Demonstrates proficiency in providing treatment consistent with physician prescription and established plan of care.
Able to modify treatment plan as needed to demonstrate provision of skilled therapy services including progression of treatment throughout course of care, and revision of treatment interventions of goals not met.
May supervise and direct certified athletic trainers (PT only), physical therapist / occupational therapist assistants, technicians and volunteers and students.
Selects and follows correct protocol for care and utilize evidence based treatments.
Demonstrates proficiency in communicating functional impact of assessment findings, treatment interventions, treatment planning diagnosis, and disease process.
Considers the communication needs/level of understanding of audience and may share appropriate information/literature.