Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency Program
Important Dates
- October 1, 2024: RF-PTCAS applications open
- November 14, 2024: Virtual open house
- January 1, 2025: Application deadline
- February 2025: Interviews
Download our program flyer (PDF)
Established in 2009, HonorHealth's Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency Program was the first accredited residency program in Arizona through the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency & Fellowship Education. Eleven cohorts (24 residents) have graduated since its inception.
Mission statement
The orthopedic residency program is committed to providing evidence-based orthopedic education and improving patient outcomes through focused mentoring, expert-level instruction, teaching and scholarship. Our program is dedicated to continuous improvements and strategic initiatives to improve patient care and overall clinical practice.
We achieve our mission by emphasizing the following areas within our program:
Clinical reasoning: Residents will participate in weekly 1:1 mentoring sessions with orthopedic specialists and fellows (150+ hours total) to help challenge and advance the resident’s clinical reasoning. The development of clinical reasoning is vital to a therapist’s ability to treat complex patients and to improve patient outcomes. Residents will treat patients and engage in mentorship at three unique hospital-based outpatient clinics to gain exposure to all the facets of orthopedic practice.
Psychomotor skill development: Residents will refine their hands-on practice through advanced lab instruction across all body regions. Our labs cover examination techniques as well as expert-level manual therapy treatment approaches with direct faculty instruction.
Content knowledge: Our program offers expert-level lectures that go beyond the ABPTRFE program requirements. The lectures are instructed by our orthopedic specialists and fellows to promote the continuation of learning and orthopedic content expertise.
Teaching exposure: Residents will serve as adjunct and lecture faculty in local DPT programs, as well as a clinical instructor for a DPT student rotation. Residents will also take the APTA Level I Credentialed Clinical Instructor Program during the program year.
Research/scholarship: Through required case studies and literature reviews, our residents will gain valuable exposure to scholarly activity and evidence-based care. Residents will have the opportunity to submit their case studies to CSM as well as expand their research involvement per individual resident interest.
Professional development: In addition to pre-scheduled opportunities, residents will have the chance to customize their professional development projects per individual interest. Examples include, but are not limited to, assisting with scholarly activity/research, participating in continuing education courses, multidisciplinary observation, and promotion of community health/wellness.
Specialty preparation: Residents will be required to read the Current Concepts of Orthopedic Physical Therapy Monographs (5th edition) over the course of the year with faculty-led case studies and mock-exam questions to help residents prepare for the OCS examination.
Our program has achieved a 100% residency completion rate for all graduates since 2009.
Testimonial
"The HonorHealth Orthopedic Residency provided me with the unique opportunity to 'fast-track' the development of clinical reasoning, evidence-based knowledge, and orthopedic skills readily applied in the clinical setting. The intensive study of orthopedic current concepts combined with mentorship under master clinicians both shaped and polished my ability as a clinician to provide evidence-based care and enhance the patient experience.”
- Kirsten Lightfoot, PT, DPT, OCS ('19)
Testimonial
"Completing the orthopedic residency program through HonorHealth was the best career decision I have made. I was able to move beyond entry-level thought processes and skills all while improving my career opportunities and patient outcomes."
- Jason Tjeerdsma, PT, DPT, OCS, Cert DN, FAAOMPT (’14)
Resident graduates live in the following states:
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Montana
- South Dakota
- Texas
Testimonial
"HonorHealth's residency absolutely helped me propel my clinical career. I learned wonderful manual skills and how to pair movement-system-based treatment with appropriate clinical judgment. I passed my OCS boards on the first try as well. And, all of it was done with good work-life balance -- a feature that made this residency program stand out. Time well spent!"
- Chioma Malkin, PT, DPT, OCS (’17)