2027 Sports Residency Program - Physical Therapist

About the role

Olympic Sports & Spine's Sports Residency is an 18-month clinical residency program accredited by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE) through the American Physical Therapy Association. The mission is to elevate a physical therapist's competency and enhance patient-centered care within sports physical therapy. The program emphasizes advanced clinical education, evidence-informed practice, and clinical reasoning, preparing residents for certification as a Certified Orthopaedic Manual Therapist (COMT), Certified Dry Needling Specialist (CDNS), and Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), as well as sports board certification through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. A new cohort begins each year on September 1.

Curriculum Summary

• Clinical curriculum: Advanced patient care, a minimum of 150 hours of one-on-one clinical mentorship during direct patient care, 200 hours of athletic venue coverage, and supervised experience serving as a clinical instructor for a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) intern.
• Educational curriculum: A minimum of 126 hours of COMT training through AspireOMT Institute; 81 hours of dry needling education through AspireOMT Institute; 150 hours of independent study using NSCA-developed content; and 200 hours of asynchronous online coursework delivered by sports physical therapy subject-matter experts. Residents also complete a capstone project aligned with their professional interests, with options including clinical practice improvement, quality improvement initiatives, research, education, community engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, technology, innovation, and leadership.

Schedule Expectations

Residents are employed by Olympic Sports & Spine and work the weekly hours outlined in their employment contract. A minimum of 150 hours of one-to-one clinical mentorship with a residency-eligible mentor is embedded within the resident's patient care schedule. Educational coursework is completed outside scheduled clinical hours, with residents dedicating approximately 10 hours per week to academic learning and related activities.

Minimum Eligibility Requirements

• Graduation from a CAPTE-accredited physical therapy program
• Successful completion of FSBPT's National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE)
• Licensure to practice physical therapy within the state of Washington by the program start date
• Active membership in the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy