Geriatric physical therapy residency program | veterans affairs

HOW MANY RESIDENTS DO YOU ACCEPT?  We accept one resident into the program each year. Applicants must have U.S. Citizenship, be proficient in the English language, and have successfully

completed a Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) accredited physical therapy program. Personal interviews and references are also required. Selected residents

are required to obtain licensure prior to starting the residency year in July. HOW DO I APPLY TO THE PROGRAM?  All applications are completed on the RF-PTCAS website 

(https://rfptcas.liaisoncas.com) January through April 30. Please contact the Program Director with any specific questions regarding the application process. HOW LONG IS THE PROGRAM? This is

a 1-year, temporary appointment. WHAT WILL MY WEEKLY SCHEDULE BE? The Resident’s tour of duty is 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday but may be altered based on mentors'

schedules and patient care needs. Residents will have clinical duties including direct patient care for approximately 30 hours per week and 6-10 hours per week will be designated for

didactic education and individualized mentoring. WHAT DOES MENTORING ENTAIL?  “Mentoring is a professional relationship where a more experienced mentor guides a less experienced mentee to

promote professional growth in a clinical setting. It is not the same as providing clinical instruction to the entry-level Physical Therapy student. It is pre-planned to meet specific

educational objectives and facilitate the development of advanced professional behaviors, clinical decision making, proficiency in communications, and consultation skills.” (APTA 2012). Our

program has a minimum of 150 hours of 1:1 mentoring. WHAT CLINICAL EXPERIENCES SHOULD I EXPECT?  The Birmingham VA Healthcare System is a tertiary referral hospital which allows us to

provide a wide variety of clinical experiences for our residents. Clinical rotations allow for experience within the acute care, outpatient, home-based primary care, and skilled nursing

settings.  Experiences include exposure to diseases and conditions affecting the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, pulmonary, integumentary, neuromuscular, and immune systems and topics

ranging from dementia, delirium, falls, frailty, heart failure, acute infection, diabetes, amputation, cancer, polypharmacy, autoimmune illness, wound care, and other conditions affecting

the geriatric population. Telehealth may be integrated into patient care in outpatient rotations and potentially home-based primary care WILL I HAVE TO STUDY OUTSIDE WORK? Residents

typically have several hours of self-directed study each week outside of the typical work hours. This is often reading and preparation for required professional presentations. Residents will

have access to MedBridge. WILL I RECEIVE A STIPEND/SALARY? Yes. The stipend is determined annually by the VA Office of Academic Affairs. The salary is $53,176.00. WILL I BE ELIGIBLE FOR

BENEFITS? Yes. Benefits include health insurance and options for vision and dental insurance. Residents receive ongoing accrual of 4 hours of paid annual leave and 4 hours of sick leave per

pay period. In addition, Residents receive 11 paid federal holidays per year. WILL I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND A PROFESSIONAL MEETING OR CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES?  Residents are

encouraged to attend the APTA Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) or Alabama State PT meeting. Funding to attend professional meetings and/or continuing education courses may be available, but

it is not guaranteed through the Birmingham VA Healthcare System. Authorized absence is available for continuing education opportunities. Residents typically attend one professional meeting

each year. WHEN WILL THE PROGRAM BEGIN?  The residency program is scheduled to begin on July 1st, of the current year.  WILL I BE PREPARED TO TAKE THE GERIATRIC SPECIALTY EXAM UPON

COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM?  Yes. Our goal is for all residents completing the program to take the GCS exam and become specialists in geriatric physical therapy. The GCS exam is taken in

March of the year following graduation from the residency and residents are responsible for all application and testing fees though scholarships are available through the Academy of

Geriatric Physical Therapy (AGPT).  For more information on application deadlines, testing dates, and costs please see the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialty website

(www.abpts.org/home.aspx). WILL I BE ELIGIBLE FOR A JOB AT THE VA UPON GRADUATION FROM THE RESIDENCY?  Residents in good standing will be encouraged to apply for job vacancies within the VA

system, but a job is not guaranteed. We will help support residents during the Spring as they search and apply for potential post-graduation employment opportunities.