Participants must apply for enrollment in the IAOM-US PTA Orthopedic Residency having met the following prerequisites:

• Graduate from a CAPTE accredited physical therapist assistant program
• Current physical therapist assistant license in the state where residency takes place
• Employment (30 hours per week minimum) at an approved clinical partner
• Criminal background check depending on the clinical partner requirements
• Letter of intent
• Liability insurance, either personal or through the employer
• Member of the APTA and IAOM-US
• Supporting letters (2) of reference from previous clinical mentors, instructors, or PT supervisors. 
• Current resume, including your experience as a physical therapist assistant.
• Proof of employment (30 hours per week minimum) at an approved IAOM-US clinical partner

The Application Form and supporting documents should be sent to the mailing address 1917 Abbott Road, Suite 200, Anchorage, Alaska, 99507, or by emailing jennycsg@iaom-us.com as a single PDF file.

Successful completion of the following is needed by the end of the program:

1. Educational Requirements: ​
   1. Complete two live patient practical examinations or Approve a written exam based on the content of the IAOM-US Hybrid Residency courses.
   2. Complete three IAOM-US Hybrid courses. ​
   3. Complete six hours of IAOM-US online courses. ​
   4. Give one formal presentation. ​
2. Mentoring Requirements: ​
   1. Coordinate 30 hours of mentoring with clinical/faculty mentors.
3. Clinical Practice Requirements: ​
   1. Obtain employment at an IAOM-US clinical partner. ​
   2. Complete 2000 patient care clinic hours. ​

This program is designed to be completed in 12 to 18 months. However, given extenuating circumstances and based on APTA guidelines, the resident has up to 5 years to complete the program. 

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On-site Supervision and Mentorship during the Residency

Once accepted into the residency program, the resident identifies their onsite supervising physical therapist.

Following the APTA guidelines included in the PTA Advanced Proficiency Pathways (https://www.apta.org/for-ptas/pta-advanced-proficiency-pathways)

• The supervising physical therapist must be an individual who agrees to assist the applicant through the PTA Advanced Proficiency Pathways program. They may be asked to provide clinical mentoring, selected clinical experiences, relief time for clinical mentoring, and/or professional and/or personal support to the applicant; all as permitted by facility and regulatory guidelines. They also agree to demonstrate professional behaviors and provide opportunities as they arise for the applicant to develop skills in advocacy, leadership, and mentoring. They agree to promote enhanced PT-PTA collaboration, including communication and documentation. They also are asked to sign off on the applicant’s submitted total work hours in the content area of the Advanced Proficiency Pathway at the conclusion of the program

The IAOM-US Residency program will assign a Clinical Mentor (who is an IAOM faculty member) to the resident. 

Following the APTA guidelines included in the PTA Advanced Proficiency Pathways:

• The clinical mentor is a PT who has demonstrated competency in the content area and has accepted responsibility for teaching and guiding the PTA through the clinical education component of the curriculum. 

• The clinical mentor and supervising physical therapist can be the same person, providing that the supervising physical therapist has the required skills to serve as a clinical mentor.

The IAOM-US Advanced Proficiency Pathway Program

The IAOM-US has a guided program to help you achieve the Advanced Proficiency Pathway in Orthopedics. We offer:

• A systematic approach to the patient-provider alliance and effective physical therapy interventions.
• IAOM-US assistance to your chosen Clinical Mentor to help assess your progress over time. This includes evaluation rubrics and assessment guides.
• Credit for recently completed IAOM-US coursework
• A self-paced educational model that helps you achieve your goals at your own pace.

Benefits:

• Achieve the APTA Advanced Proficiency Pathway in Orthopedics certification
• Enhance your current patient care practices with the latest, evidence-informed efficiencies and efficacy
• Improve your clinical confidence, job satisfaction, and achieve amazing patient outcomes
• Help your team decrease cancel/no-show rates through your advanced ability to create patient-provider alliances that work

PTA Advanced Proficiency Pathway in Orthopedics

When accepted into the Residency, applicants are encouraged to submit required documentation to the PTA Advanced Proficiency Pathway (https://www.apta.org/for-ptas/pta-advanced-proficiency-pathways).

Requirements:

APTA: (Available at https://www.apta.org/for-ptas/pta-advanced-proficiency-pathways)

• Information on APTA’s Revised Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapist and Standards of Ethical Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant.
• Leading the Team: A Practical Guide to Working with PTAs.
• Professionalism Module 1: Introduction to Professionalism

Once enrolled in the PTA Advanced Proficiency Pathway program, individuals have up to five years to complete the following program requirements using the online submission portal:

• Completion of 60 contact hours of selected continuing education coursework (online or in person) within the designated specialty pathway. Course details and proof of completion required.  

• Mentored clinical experiences (see mentor requirements below) with knowledge/skills assessments, conducted with a self-selected clinical mentor. Final completed assessment document uploaded by clinical mentor.

• Documentation of 2,000 clinical hours of work experience in the selected content area. Following submission, verification request emailed to designated supervising physical therapist.