Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency

The 12-month post-professional Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency program at ATSU is designed to elevate the clinical skills and knowledge from a general practitioner to that of a clinical specialist in neurologic physical therapy. Operating as a collaborative model, the Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency program is built from a strong clinical reasoning base. Residents will gain advanced critical thinking skills and become expert clinicians who practice evidence-based whole-person healthcare.

Residents in the Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency program receives a minimum of 75 hours of didactic instruction and 150 hours of clinical mentoring. Supervised clinical mentorship and teaching are key components of the Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency program. Each week includes mentored clinical practice with an expert neurologic physical therapist. The didactic curriculum includes online coursework, case studies, and weekend continuing education courses. Residents participate in biweekly personal video conversations with ATSU faculty, discussing curriculum topics and applying the curriculum to patient cases. As part of the curriculum, residents and their mentors will attend three to four weekend continuing education courses, sponsored by the Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency on the Mesa, Ariz. campus.

Following completion of the program, residents will be prepared to take the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS) Neurologic Clinical Specialist certification exam in Neurology and practice patient-centered evidence-based neurologic physical therapy at the competence level of a neurologic clinical specialist (NCS).

Length of Program

The 6 credit, 6 course curriculum can be completed within one year.

Admissions

Application Process

ASHS’ Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency program participates in a centralized application processing service called the Residency/Fellowship Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (RF-PTCAS). Applications may be obtained through RF-PTCAS at https://rfptcas.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login. Questions regarding the RF-PTCAS account may be directed to RF-PTCAS at 617.612.2875 or by email at rfptcasinfo@rfptcas.org. All other questions should be sent to Admissions at admissions@atsu.edu or 866.626.2878 ext. 2237.

Application Deadline

The deadline to apply through RF-PTCAS is August 1 of the year of anticipated enrollment.

Admission Requirements

Applicants for admission to the Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency program must meet the following requirements prior to matriculation.

Minimal eligibility requirements for acceptance into the program include:

• Unrestricted license in physical therapy in the state in which the resident will practice physical therapy during the residency.
• Employment in an approved clinical site with an approved clinical mentor.
• Submission of application to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) residency centralized application system (RF-PTCAS).
• Submission of secondary application to the Residency Program.

Clinical Requirements

• Resident must be employed in an approved physical therapy clinical setting with a wide variety of patients with neurologic conditions.
• Resident must have an approved clinical mentor provide a minimum of 3 hours of one-on-one mentoring of patient care per week.

Application Requirements

1. Submit primary application through RF-PTCAS at www.abptrfe.org.
   1. Items required of applicants in the RF-PTCAS primary application:
      1. Complete RF-PTCAS application and fee
      2. Official transcripts from every physical therapy U.S. college and university attended
      3. Three received electronic evaluations
2. Program specific supplemental requirement:
   1. Supplemental fee of $70
   2. Additional information detailing clinical site and mentor
   3. Interview with residency program director
   4. Curriculum Vitae or Resume
   5. NOTE: No additional evaluations required aside from the 3 required by RF-PTCAS
3. All students are required to demonstrate proficiency in English when applying to the Arizona School of Health Sciences, A.T Still University. See the ASHS English Proficiency  section for more details.
4. Applicants are expected to be computer literate and experienced in word processing. All curricula require extensive computer usage. Accepted applicants are required to have a laptop computer prior to the first day of class.
   1. See the Minimum Technology Specifications  under the General Admission Requirements section.

ASHS is looking for the following qualities in applicants to the residency program:

• A strong desire to advance clinical skills and knowledge
• Strong communication in clinical reasoning skills
• Evidence of self-initiative and self-responsibility
• Commitment to patient-centered practice