Fellowship in Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy

Boston University’s Fellowship in Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy offers the opportunity for licensed physical therapists to elevate their level of clinical practice, advance their careers, and become leaders in the physical therapy profession.

Mission and Goals

The mission of the Boston University Fellowship in Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy is to educate and develop expert practitioners in orthopaedic manual therapy. Expert practitioners will assume leadership roles in advancing the physical therapy profession by contributing to the scientific body of knowledge in the field, providing current evidence-based clinical care, and participating in the education of students and colleagues.

This unique fellowship program will develop expert practitioners in orthopaedic manual physical therapy who will be further prepared to serve as direct access providers. Participants will have the opportunity to enhance their clinical skills in the treatment of patients with neuromusculoskeletal disorders within a biopsychosocial model. They will develop and learn to utilize advanced skills in manual therapy, therapeutic exercise, communication, and differential diagnosis to enhance their clinical reasoning and decision making.

Program Highlights

The Fellowship is one year in length.  Participants can enroll in the program in one of two ways:

1. Hired as full-time employee at the Boston University Physical Therapy Center (BUPTC) for a one-year term
2. Alternate Enrollment: Remain employed at their current job but complete all 1:1 mentored treatment and educational work at BUPTC. This option places you on site at BU 2 days per week, 4 hours each day.

Both options have all of the mentoring and academic coursework included. During the program, participants receive weekly 1:1 mentoring by expert clinicians and faculty throughout their experience and are provided weekly scheduled training in manual skills. They will also participate in regular grand rounds and journal clubs and will have their mentor available for discussion during the approximately 35 hours per week that the participant will be treating patients independently, allowing for ample exposure to refine their clinical skills.

Didactic training will be conducted through various methods utilizing technology, and more complex areas of patient management are emphasized earlier on in the fellowship program to allow the maximal amount of mentored time in these areas.

Since teaching is paramount to learning, participants will also be afforded the opportunity to participate in teaching and scholarship experiences to advance their skills in these areas in preparation for becoming future leaders in the physical therapy profession.