Pediatric Physical Therapy

Curriculum and Schedule

The 13.5-month Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency program consists of the following:

• Outpatient developmental clinic: 16 hours/week
• LEND Program (Aug-April): 16 hours/week including clinical experiences 8 hours/week and didactic instruction 8 hours/week
• School-based setting: 8 hours/week (Aug-May)
• In-person mentoring for a minimum of 150 hours to develop clinical reasoning skills
• End of year written examination and two clinical examinations
• Participation in a research and/or a community integration project
• Didactic instruction 300+ hours provided in person and online on the following topics, conditions and interventions including:
  
  • Typical and Atypical Development
  • Standardized Tests and Measures
  • Motivational Interviewing/Self-Management
  • Congenital Muscular Torticollis and Plagiocephaly
  • Down syndrome
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Developmental Coordination Disorder
  • Idiopathic Toe Walking
  • Joint Hypermobility conditions
  • Rheumatological conditions
  • Muscular Dystrophies and Spinal Muscular Atrophy
  • Spina Bifida
  • Cardiopulmonary conditions
  • Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Autism
  • Developmental Biomechanics
  • School-based Physical Therapy
  • Early Intervention
  • Acute Care
  • Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
  • Inpatient Rehabilitation
  • Orthotics and Durable Medical Equipment
  • Kinetic and rigid taping

LEND

The University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s LEND program provides specialized instruction and skill development in the following areas:

• Leadership: development of leadership skills related to your profession and in the service of individuals with developmental disabilities
• Interdisciplinary Training: learning through the multidisciplinary evaluation of a child about the role and responsibilities of other disciplines in the care of children and their with developmental disabilities
• Core Course on Developmental Disabilities: provides training in the life-course perspective, family centered care, social determinants of heath, disparities in health care, medical home, and policy and advocacy issues at the local, state and federal level
• Evidence Based Methods: participation in a team-based, faculty-led interdisciplinary research or community integration project including development and presentation of poster on the project

View the LEND Curriculum Video

• Observation in multi-disciplinary clinics including:
  
  • Cerebral Palsy Clinic
  • Comprehensive Neuromuscular Clinic (muscular dystrophies, SMA)
  • Developmental Assessment Team for Infants and Toddlers
  • The Jane and Richard Thomas Center for Down Syndrome
  • Heart Institute, Neurodevelopmental and Educational Clinic
  • Kelly O’Leary Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Infant Motor Evaluation Clinic
  • Newborn Intensive Care Follow-up Clinic
  • Rheumatology Clinic
  • Surgical Spasticity Clinic
  • Wheelchair Seating Clinic
• Volunteer/Community Outreach opportunities
  
  • Be Well Adapted Wellness Programs
    
    • Run (annual 5K)
    • Bike (annual Bike Camp)
    • Sport Club (single opportunity sport exposures throughout the year)
    • Breathe (Yoga)
    • Aquatics (group class)
    • Ballet Moves (adapted dance program with Cincinnati Ballet)
• Teaching/Mentoring opportunities
  
  • Resident provides several instructional presentations in LEND Program
  • Resident prepares/presents a lecture to University of Cincinnati DPT students
  • Mentoring of incoming resident and PT students
  • Attendance at departmental, local, and national conferences

• Time Frame
  • Late June - early August of the following year
• Locations
  • The Outpatient component is housed at the Mason Neighborhood Location (OPM), and is located in a suburb north of Cincinnati. The resident provides PT services on Mondays and Fridays throughout the residency year. One of 10 locations throughout the city where PT services are provided, Mason serves a culturally diverse patient population. Urgent Care, Radiology and Lab services and specialty ambulatory clinics are also provided at Mason. There are more than 15 OTs and PTs at the Mason location with a variety of clinical expertise, including three PTs with their Board Certification in Pediatric Physical Therapy.
  • The School-based component takes place at Dater Montessori Elementary School, part of Cincinnati Public schools, and is located on the west side of Cincinnati. The resident provides school-based PT services on Wednesdays during the school year.
  • The LEND program is located in the Medical Office Building (MOB), which is part of the Burnet campus and is located across from the main hospital. The resident participates in LEND on Tuesdays and Thursdays from August through April.
  • The Acute Care component of the residency program occurs at the Burnet hospital campus and includes time in inpatient, NICU, and inpatient rehabilitation. The resident is in the Acute Care settings on Tuesdays and Thursdays May through August.
  • Specialty clinic and intervention observations mostly occur at the ambulatory clinics at the main hospital and at MOB.
• Program Details
  • Further information regarding the application process and other program details

Sample Schedule (Aug through May)

Yearly Schedule