Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency

Specialize in neurologic physical therapy

OhioHealth’s collaborative approach to neurologic care helps patients heal their mind, body and spirit. As a neurologic physical therapy resident, you will work closely with other therapists as well as neurologists, neurosurgeons and wellness program associates to empower patients and provide the best possible experience at every step of their journey.

At the end of your program you will be fully prepared to practice advanced physical therapy and sit for the certified neurologic clinical specialist examination. You will also be equipped to instruct others as a neuroscience educator and mentor, and have skills to serve in leadership roles throughout your career.

Progress along with patients

The Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency is a unique collaboration between OhioHealth and Ohio University. This relationship ensures you will receive exceptional neuroscience education and hands-on, clinical experience with a variety of diagnoses.

The program follows the path most patients take as they navigate neurologic treatment at OhioHealth. You will spend 32 hours in clinical practice each week, beginning in acute care at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, transitioning to inpatient rehabilitation at the OhioHealth Rehabilitation Hospital, and concluding with outpatient treatment in the OhioHealth Neurological Rehabilitation in Upper Arlington. Riverside Methodist is nationally recognized as one of the best American hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery.

The eight hours weekly you spend in didactic learning will be supported by advanced literature appraisal, research and teaching neurology content to doctor of physical therapy students through Ohio University.

We will support you professionally and personally

As a neurologic physical therapy resident, you will be set up for success by a strong curriculum and extensive experiences. But that’s not all. You will be supported by talented faculty, develop close bonds with your fellow therapists, and have resources available to you that can only be found at an organization like OhioHealth.

Program Requirements

Graduated from a CAPTE-accredited (Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education) physical therapy program.
Licensed to practice physical therapy in Ohio.
Member of the American Physical Therapy Association (section member encouraged).

Education and Clinical Rotations

The Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency program is a 13-month academic year. Rotations include:

Acute care – 10 weeks. This includes experiences in the neurologic intensive care unit, stroke unit, surgery and radiology observation, and exposure to lumbar drainage trials for normal pressure hydrocephalus.
Inpatient rehabilitation – 14 weeks. This includes Ekso™ bionic exoskeleton training, participation in spinal cord injury support groups, wheelchair evaluations and community outings.
Outpatient neurologic rehabilitation – 28 weeks. This includes learning how to perform functional electric stimulation, experience with deep brain stimulation trials, and observation of electromyography, driving observations and neuro-optometry. You will also participate in our amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and motor neuron disease, movement disorders, spasticity, and multiple sclerosis clinics.

The five education modules, which align with your clinical experience, include:

Neuroanatomy and neuroscience
Spinal cord injury
Acquired brain injury
Neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases
Vestibular rehabilitation

Research and Development Opportunities

A portion of the eight hours of weekly didactic learning is allotted to research or case study development. The OhioHealth Research Institute will provide you with the tools you need to plan and conduct research, including access to existing research, clinical and data coordination, contract guidance, quality assurance and other types of support.

Our neurologic physical therapy residents also have abundant opportunities to teach neurologic content to students in Ohio University’s Doctorate of Physical Therapy program.

Camaraderie and Culture

Our culture at OhioHealth is one of our greatest strengths. We operate as a family, and you will find a high level of camaraderie among residents, faculty and the providers you work with. They want to see you succeed and get the most out of every rotation and your residency as a whole.

Mentorship is a major part of our program. We set aside more than 300 hours over the course of the year for one-on-one discussion, and three hours each week for treating patients alongside a mentor. Our mentors participate in yearly development training to learn how to best support you. The program coordinator will also check in with you bimonthly to make sure you can excel with your responsibilities.

You will be invited to social gatherings and events to welcome you to the team and celebrate your accomplishments at the end of each term. Team building is a big part of our program’s culture. We volunteer together often at adaptive sporting events, including rugby, cycling, basketball, sailing and skiing.

The neurologic resident also collaborates with the OhioHealth and Ohio University women’s health resident for peer support and to develop knowledge in the counterpart’s specialty.

Resident Wellness

We believe that wellness and resilience are imperative to be an effective resident. Each module there is a midterm and final check-in with residency leadership to identify and address any issues with work-life balance. You will also have access to six free counseling sessions each year through the Employee Assistance program.

Outcomes and Placement

All graduates of our Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency program have since passed their neurologic clinical specialist certification exam. One of our graduates serves as the primary mentor for the program’s Neuroanatomy and Neuroscience education module, and another as the program’s coordinator. Others are employed at Kettering Health Network in Dayton, Ohio and Fyzical Physical Therapy and Balance Services in Las Vegas, treating neurologic and vestibular patients.