Residency and Fellowship Development
SAN ANTONIO—
This morning, Greg Hartley, PT, MSPT, GCS, of St. Catherine's Rehabilitation Hospital in Miami, FL, and Phillip S Sizer Jr, PT, PhD, OCS, FAAOMPT, of Texas Tech University Health Science Center, Lubbock, TX, presented "Successful Business and Organizational Models for Residency and Fellowship Development."
Some people think a residency and fellowship are one in the same. The key difference, according to the speakers, is that residencies aim to advance a PT's preparation in a defined area of critical practice, while a fellowship offers a more focused study. For a PT to be a successful fellow, they should time their entrance into a program based on completion of post-doctoral study, residency, board certification or experience in the clinic. There are currently 37 residencies and 21 fellowships in existence across the U.S. for PTs.
A model for success for both a residency and a fellowship must include:
- A plan: This should include addressing why individuals will want to attend your program. Is it money, prestige, or maybe authority?
- A commitment: The commitment must come from all the educators and entities involved in the fellowship.
- Time: Should your program be full-, part- or half-time?
- Place: The program could be at a university or operated by a collaborative effort with a hospital.
- Educators: This group must have the education and the attitude to participate.
- Patients: The patients must provide a variability of exposure for the residents or fellows.
- A test: How will you determine who you accept to your program?
- Accreditation: This takes planning.
Each post-professional education program must clearly define its individual goals. All, however, should bring to its students:
- Practice quantity and quality
- Variability in exposure
- Feedback
- Mentoring
- Modeling
- Guidance
For the program to work, it needs the right students. The best applications will bring to your program:
- Cognitive processing
- Observation
- Attention to details
- Motivation
- Commitment
- Patience