Physical Therapy Division Orthopedic Clinical Residency Program
Application and Selection Process
The Spine Program of the Occupational and Physical Therapy Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation of the UMHS takes pride in offering an orthopedic clinical residency program designed to provide entry level graduates and general physical therapists with advanced training in manual therapy with emphasis on the following paradigms: McKenzie Method, Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy Method and Osteopathic Method for the treatment of orthopedic conditions. This program utilizes a medical, evidence based model with didactic, laboratory and clinical training sessions. The curriculum also aims to prepare the resident for the APTA Orthopedic Clinical Specialist Certification Examination.
This residency begins in September of each year and runs for 12-18 months. The length of the residency will depend on the number of hours per week that the resident wants to commit to the program (20-30 hours per week). Three residents are accepted to participate in the program each year. The residents can either be: (1) employed part time and then mentored part-time (20-30 hours/wk) or (2) work part-time at a different facility and mentored part-time. The residents are paid per hour at a PT resident rate for any unsupervised patient care hours rendered. A modest tuition fee is charged for the didactic instruction. A benefit package is given to those who are accepted as a part-time employee for the health system.
Curriculum Outline
234 hours of classroom/lab instruction
240 hours of 1:1 supervision while treating patients
960 hours of clinical practice
68 hours of specialty practice observation
The content of the classroom, lab and clinical reasoning in this program encompass the following areas:
- Cervical Spine
- Thoracic Spine and Ribs
- Lumbar Spine
- Sacral Spine and Sacroiliac Joint Complex
- Hip Joint
- Knee Complex
- Foot and Ankle
- Shoulder Complex
- Elbow, Wrist and Hands
- Head and Temporomandibular Joint
- Evidence Based Practice
- Research
- Concepts of the McKenzie Method
- Concepts of the Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy Method
- Concepts of the Osteopathic Method
- Special Lectures on Core Stabilization, Pregnancy, Interventional Medicine, Radiology and Imaging and Surgical Intervention, Conditioning and Exercise, Multidisciplinary Spine Treatment
Clinical Faculty
Todd Bailey, M.P.T, B.S.N.
Michel Bird, M.S.P.T.
Patricia Connors, P.T., O.M.P.T.
Amelia Louis Ferdinand, P.T., O.C.S.
Pamela Knickerbocker, P.T., M.S., O.C.S., O.M.P.T.
Andrew Marsh, P.T., Cert. M.D.T.
Britt Michel, C.S.C.S.
Cynthia Munday, M.P.T., N.C.S.
Diane Rufe, P.T., M.H.S.
Linda Schroeder, P.T., C.H.T.
Elizabeth Wiggert, P.T., O.C.S.
Special Guest Lecturers
Lawrence Ashman, D.D.S.
Miles Colwell, M.D.
Michael Geisser, Ph.D.
Stanley S Lee, M.D.
Steven Schultz, M.D.
Quaintance Miller, O.T.R.
The applicants will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Academic Education
- Clinical Education and Mentoring Experiences
- Clinical Experience in Orthopedic Physical Therapy
- Personal Vision and Development Plan
Minimal Eligibility Requirements:
- Licensure in Physical Therapy by the Michigan Board of Physical Therapy and/or be able to attain a license prior to the initiation of residency.
- Comply with the University of Michigan Health System employment Requirements
- Membership in the American Physical Therapy Association preferred.
To apply for admission to the residency program, please submit the following items to the director of the Orthopedic Clinical Residency Program:
Myra Hufnagel, PT, DPT, Cert. MDT
UMHS PM&R Spine Program
325 E. Eisenhower Parkway
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108
Applications can also be e mailed to: myrav@med.umich.edu
Please include the following items in your application package:
- Cover letter stating your:
- interest in participating in the clinical residency
- what do you wish to gain from participating in this residency
- what areas of expertise/skills do you have that will benefit other residents
- what are your future plans in the area of orthopedic physical therapy
- Curriculum Vitae
- Two letters of recommendation
- Description of Clinical Experiences
- Name, address and phone number of the facility
- Name of clinical supervisor, if any
- Type of facility
- Job Description (if, any)
- Description of Patient load
- Time Period Involved in direct patient load ( Total Hours = hours/week x weeks/year x number of full time years
Application and Selection Process
- The applicants submit the completed application packet to Myra Hufnagel, PT, DPT, Cert. MDT. The admissions committee reviews the applications.
- The committee selects the top 10 candidates for a face to face interview including a mock evaluation of a patient /case study. This determines the applicants’ basic clinical competency in orthopedic physical therapy.
- The committee selects the top six applicants who will be accepted into the program. A waitlist of two other applicants is determined in case one of the top three decides to participate in the residency program.
- The clinical coordinator notifies the applicants about the results. The applicant will either: (a) choose to participate in the residency program; or (b) deny participation in the program for that year.
- The clinical coordinator notifies the faculty of the names of the residents accepted into the program. The residents sign and return the Resident Terms and Agreement within fifteen days. Failure to accomplish this without notice to the Residency Committee results in default. The committee notifies waitlisted applicants to join the program. Six is the maximum number of residents per year.
- The coordinator notifies unsuccessful applicants for that year. Unsuccessful applicants will still be eligible for re-application for the following year.
Non-Discrimination Policy Notice
The University of Michigan, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action, including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The University of Michigan is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex*, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, or Vietnam-era verteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. Inquiries or complaints may be addressed to the Senior Director for Institutional Equity and Title IX/Section 504 Coordinator, Office for Institutional Equity, 2072 Administrative Services Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1432, 734-763-0235, TTY 734-647-1388.
*Includes discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression.
