Physical Therapy Residency Program
The Northwestern Medicine Acute Care Physical Therapy Residency is a collaborative program of Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences. Our residency program prepares residents to care for medically complex acute care patients, and the program includes clinical care in a variety of service lines, educational opportunities, and one-on-one mentorship with a Northwestern Medicine faculty member.
Program Mission
The mission of the Northwestern Medicine Acute Care Physical Therapy Residency is to develop physical therapists with highly specialized skills in the rehabilitation of the medically complex acute care patient. Residents and faculty will seek to improve the health of our local community and the knowledge of our professional colleagues by fostering a culture of quality education and research to encourage excellence of practice, science-based clinical reasoning, and lifelong learning.
Program Features
The Northwestern Medicine Acute Care Physical Therapy Residency is an intensive 12 month program beginning in August of each year.
- Clinical Care: Resident will spend 1,500+ hours evaluating and treating patients at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the No. 1 hospital in Illinois and a top 10 hospital in the nation, as rated by U.S. News & World Report for 2021-22. Service area rotations include: cardiopulmonary/cardiothoracic surgery, emergency department, general surgery, general medicine, orthopedics, neurosciences/neurosurgery, obstetrics, and oncology.
- Education: Resident will partake in service line/patient population-specific didactic content, as well as on-site and external/online program educational opportunities. Residents will also have the opportunity to assist with teaching DPT courses at Northwestern University Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences. Northwestern University has one of the largest physical therapy schools in the U.S., and is ranked 4th nationwide, according to U.S. News & World Report for 2021-22.
- Mentorship: Resident will receive three to four hours per week of one-on-one direct faculty mentorship with formal evaluation and documentation.
Program Objectives
- Residents complete education, clinical training, and mentorship that reflect our hospital’s Analysis of Acute Care PT Practice to prepare them to obtain ABPTS board certification as clinical specialists in acute care physical therapy as soon as it becomes available.
- Residents will demonstrate advanced, efficient, and effective skills in acute care PT practice with a variety of patient populations and conditions consistent with our hospital’s Analysis of Acute Care PT Practice (and DRP when it becomes available).
- Residents will demonstrate specialist-level knowledge and clinical reasoning so that examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, interventions, and outcome decisions are consistently based on the three pillars of evidence-based practice.
- Residents will develop advanced skills as educators to share knowledge and best evidence in acute care practice with patients, caregivers, students, colleagues, and interdisciplinary partners.
- Residents will demonstrate skills in research and quality improvement methodology through exposure to a variety of projects and participation in a project related to acute care physical therapy.
- Residency graduates will contribute to the growth and development of acute care physical therapy within Northwestern Medicine and the broader society.
Please download the residency information packet (PDF) below for more information. The packet is updated annually prior to the opening of the application cycle.
NM Acute Care Residency Information Packet
Program Outcomes
| Northwestern Medicine Acute Care Residency—Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cohort Year | ||
| 2020-21 | 2021-22 | |
| # of Residents Admitted | 2 | 2 |
| # of Residents Graduated | 2 | |
| % who graduated | 100% | % |
Accreditation
The Northwestern Medicine Acute Care Residency is accredited by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE) as a post professional residency program for physical therapists in acute care physical therapy.
Application Process
Admission Requirements
- Degree, licensure: Current licensure in good standing or eligibility for licensure as a physical therapist in the State of Illinois. Active licensure in Illinois is required prior to program start date.
- Proof of certification/membership: Current Basic Cardiac Lift Support (BLS) certification and proof of current APTA membership.
- Academic/professional history: Transcripts from an accredited physical therapy program and current curriculum vitae or resume.
- Letters of recommendation (3): Preferred—one letter of recommendation from a supervisor in acute care or clinical instructor from an acute care clinical rotation.
- Additional requirements: Personal statement, professional references, meet criteria for employment at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, excellent written and verbal communication skills, and demonstrate characteristics of a team player with high standards of professional behavior.
Candidates must apply to the NM Acute Care Residency through the APTA’s RF-PTCAS national common residency application system online.
RF-PTCAS | Applicant Login Page Section (liaisoncas.com)
Residency Calendar for 2022-2023 Admission Cycle (dates subject to change)
- Residency application submission deadline: April 1st, 2022
- Candidate interviews: Mid to late April 2022
- Residency start date: Anticipated August 24th, 2022
Inquiry Form
We are currently accepting applications for our 2022-2023 Northwestern Medicine Acute Care Residency cohort. To ask questions or to obtain more information about our program please contact Andrea Williams at Andrea.Williams@nm.org / 312-926-6409 or use the link below to submit an inquiry.
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