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(352) 733-0111

UF Health Sports Physical Therapy Residency

Sports physical therapy residents

The UF Health Sports Physical Therapy Residency is accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association as a post-professional residency program for physical therapists in sports specialty practice.

The mission of the UF Health Physical Therapy Sports Residency is to develop advanced practitioners of evidence-based musculoskeletal and sports-specific practice who will demonstrate excellence in patient care across the realm of athletes and athletic venues. Graduates will contribute to the practice of sports physical through professional leadership, education, community service, and clinical research.

General residency overview

A physical therapy clinical residency is a planned post-professional program intended to significantly advance the resident’s preparation as a provider of patient care services in a defined area of clinical practice. A clinical residency combines opportunities for ongoing clinical supervision and mentoring with a theoretical basis for advanced practice and scientific inquiry.

A physical therapy clinical residency occurs after the graduate physical therapist has obtained his/her license to practice. A residency candidate must be licensed as a physical therapist in the state where the program is located. For more information about residency programs, visit abptrfe.apta.org/for-participants.

Sports residents are required to complete an emergency responder course or be a certified athletic trainer or emergency medical technician prior to commencing the residency. The credentials are not required to apply for the residency program but must be completed before starting.

Our program has a 100% graduation rate with all of our residents being eligible to sit for the SCS exam. We have over a 95% pass rate on this exam.

Admissions process

Applications

Orthopedic residency applications are accepted through the Residency/Fellowship Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (RF-PTCAS) website.

The application portal will reopen on October 1 and close on December 1 each year for the residency beginning in August the following year.

We prefer applicants who have had sports experiences through clinical internships, volunteering at athletic events or personal involvement.

Interviews

Those identified candidates as well as all University of Florida DPT graduates are offered in person interviews. The total number of qualified applicants will help in determining the number of interviews offered.

The date of the interview will vary year to year but will take place in either January or February with the final selection being made in March with the residency beginning in August.

Additional requirements

Because residents are employees of UF Health, the candidates who agree to participate in the program are then required to apply for the residency positions through the UF Health Human Resources process, recognizing that these are reserved positions only for residents selected by the committee. All residents must meet the employment requirements set forth by UF Health, including, but not limited to background check, drug testing, and licensure verification.

All residents must:

  • Be eligible for Physical Therapy licensure in the state of Florida.
  • For a resident candidate graduating in the same year as the start date of the UF Health Sports Physical Therapy Residency who is instructed to apply to the Rehab Fellowship position through the UF Health Human Resources application process must take the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) no later than July of that year.
  • If the candidate does not pass the test administered in July, the candidate is no longer eligible for Florida licensure by the start date of the program and therefore will not be offered the Rehab Fellowship position through UF Health Human Resources.
  • Secure and maintain a permanent license to practice Physical Therapy in the state of Florida in accordance with all Florida laws, rules and regulations of professional licensing. If a resident fails to maintain a valid license or becomes ineligible to practice physical therapy in Florida for any reason, immediate termination procedures will be initiated.
  • Secure and maintain a Florida Driver’s License within 30 days of starting the residency.
  • Possess of one of the following prior to commencing the program:
    • current ATC designation
    • current license as an EMT
    • certification as an Emergency Medical Responder by an SCS approved vendor

Residency experience

We offer a comprehensive, well-integrated and up-to-date curriculum that prepares residents to become sports physical therapists with advanced clinical skills.

We require completion of the following by the end of the residency:

32 hours of patient care per week (40% sports)

Residency patient care experiences take place at UF Health Rehab Center- OSMI and occur under the mentorship of APTA Certified Sports Clinical Specialists. The residents provide independent patient care to patients with a wide variety of orthopedic and sports injuries/conditions. The residents complete the residency with at least 40% of their caseload having been sports related injuries/conditions.

Other clinicians with focused areas of expertise, including APTA Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialists, also contribute to expanding and diversifying the clinical skills of the resident. The program provides residents opportunities to closely interact with other health care professionals including physicians, physician assistants, occupational therapists, athletic trainers, and strength and conditioning coaches.

Experiences beyond the OSMI physical therapy clinic include co-treatment of athletes at the University Athletic Association (UAA) training facilities on UF Campus, physician observation, participation in grand rounds, and attendance at sports-specific continuing education seminars.

150 hours of 1:1 mentoring with your clinical mentors

Each resident is assigned a primary clinical mentor who oversees the resident’s patient care experience. The residents receive one-on-one mentorship in the Physical Therapy Clinic at OSMI with a primary clinic mentor (Physical Therapy Certified Sports Clinical Specialist) who treats in the clinic alongside the resident. The clinical mentor is readily available for consultation during patient care hours and at least 1 hour per week is dedicated to one-on-one scheduled mentoring sessions.

Additional one-on-one mentorship is provided at the University Athletic Association (UAA) training facilities to co-treat Division 1 athletes with Physical Therapy Sports Clinical Specialists.

200 hours of on-field venue coverage (University of Florida and High School)

Residents provide on-field sports venue coverage for many different sports for the University of Florida as well as local high schools. Sports venue coverage includes, but is not limited to, University of Florida Division 1 football, volleyball, soccer, softball, baseball, gymnastics, track/field, and swimming/diving and high school sports including football.

300 hours of didactic education

The residency academic curriculum follows the APTA guidelines for specialization and current evidence-based standards of practice serving as its basis. The didactic educational framework centers on the Sports Description of Specialty Practice intended to: 1) provide residents with advanced knowledge and understanding of the basic sciences related sports practice; 2) explore the current evidence supporting current practice patterns; and 3) practice and perfect advanced clinical techniques. Additionally, residents attend national conferences where there are opportunities for education by advanced speakers in the practice of physical therapy, current research platforms, networking, and exposure to the workings of our professional organization.

The didactic educational opportunities include, but are not limited to:

  • Resident Weekly Roundtable/Journal Club UF Health Rehab
  • Sports Physical Therapy Section Team Concept Conference
  • Sports Physical Therapy Section Sports Clinical Specialist Examination Preparatory Course
  • APTA Combined Sections Meeting
  • APTA Credentialed Clinical Instructor Program (CCIP)

Teaching assistant in Musculoskeletal Courses for UF DPT Program (2 semesters)

Each resident is expected to serve as a teaching assistant in a Musculoskeletal I and Musculoskeletal II UF DPT courses. During the course the residents function primarily as lab assistants, but also have the opportunity to lecture on a particular topic. The residents receive coaching and resources from the primary instructor of the course. Not only do the residents gain improved mastery of the material, but they acquire public speaking and teaching skills as well.

Written case study with opportunity for submission at a national level

Each resident is given the opportunity to develop a research question or activity that will be peer-reviewed, submission-ready by the end of the residency. Several case reports, case series, and RCTs have all been generated and disseminated by our former residents. The residency research mentor is a Certified Sports Clinical Specialist who guides the resident through each step of the clinical research process.

Sports Physical Therapy Residency Director

Scott Greenberg, PT, DPT, CSCS

  • Manager of Operations, UF Health OP Rehab
  • Residency Director
  • Doctorate in Physical Therapy, Slippery Rock University, 1999
  • BS in Exercise and Sports Science, University of Florida, 1996
  • Chair of Sports Physical Therapy Section’s Running Special Interest Group, 2018
  • Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, NSCA, 2000
  • Interests: Running Medicine, Foot and ankle, Foot Othoses Fabrication

For more information

Please contact Scott Greenberg, PT, DPT, CSCS.