What is a Pediatric Residency Program?
According to the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education, “A residency program is a post-professional planned learning experience comprised of a curriculum encompassing the essential knowledge, skills, and responsibilities of an advanced physical therapist within a defined area of practice. When board certification exists through the American Board of Physical Therapist Specialties for that specialty, the residency program prepares the physical therapist with the requisite knowledge and skill set needed to pass the certification examination following graduation.”
A pediatric residency program incorporates didactic and clinical components that provide opportunities to promote the advancement of clinical skills and the development of advanced clinical decision-making, as well as the application of research knowledge, educational theory, and administrative practices.
A Certified Pediatric Occupational/Physical/Speech Therapist has the advanced knowledge to treat children ages 0-21 years in various settings with a wide range of diagnoses. A residency program further elevates a clinician’s practice by providing learning opportunities and hands-on training, along with 1:1 mentoring, that allows them to truly become the best clinician for the patients they are working within their specialty field. A pediatric residency program provides an accelerated pathway to advanced clinical practice in the specialty of pediatric therapy.
What is a Pediatric Specialist?
Occupational, Physical, and Speech Therapists graduate with broad degrees in their respective fields, prepared to treat the entire lifespan and multiple settings. Therapists take licensing board examinations in order to practice in the setting of their choice upon passing.
In addition, pediatric therapists can be board-certified in specialty areas such as pediatrics. Physical and Occupational Therapists have the opportunity to sit for a board specialization examination to earn credentials. Speech Language Pathologists may present a portfolio of expertise to gain recognition as a specialist.
About the Ivy Rehab Pediatric Residency Program
The Ivy Rehab PRP is a 12-month program led by Brittany Bosley (OT), Sarah Goncalves (PT), and Katherine Dalman (SLP). The directors work closely with a team of educators to execute a comprehensive, inter-professional residency curriculum, including self-study modules, essential reading, weekly synchronous learning opportunities, and in-person weekend intensive courses. The program is designed in a hybrid format to allow any therapist across the Ivy Rehab Network to participate in this advanced clinical program.
Each resident is teamed up with a qualified mentor to complete at least 75 hours of 1:1 mentoring over the course of the residency year. The mentors typically complete their mentoring hours in the resident’s clinic and provide support, education, coaching, and guidance to the resident. Mentorship is a cornerstone of the PRP and all other residency programs Ivy Rehab offers. The time the mentor and resident spend together is a valuable component that truly helps clinicians develop into specialists and advanced practitioners.
As a part of the program mission, we strive to create well-rounded therapists who can focus on advancement through evidence-based clinical reasoning, development of expert-level clinical skills, as well as being mindful and focusing on creating a strong therapeutic alliance with patients. The program additionally supports the residents with providing leadership skills and opportunities to continually move the profession forward.
Article By: Sarah Goncalves, PT, DPT, PhD(c), CI
Board-Certified Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy
Sarah is the Director of the Pediatric Residency Programs at Ivy Rehab for Kids. With over ten years of clinical experience as a Physical Therapist in pediatric rehabilitation and a board-certified Pediatric Clinical Specialist, she has a passion for providing and creating opportunities for therapists to provide advanced and specialized care to patients to improve the quality of life of everyone involved in the process.
