Do Entry-Level Physical Therapy Programs Prepare Students for Post-Graduate Residency Education?
Purpose/Hypothesis:
The American Board of Physical Therapy and Residency Education (ABPTRFE) describes residency as a postgraduate educational program focusing on improving skills to provide a path to specialization in the field of Physical Therapy. As the profession strives to provide high quality, patient-centered, evidence-based care, the expansion of residency training for physical therapists has been identified by the APTA house of delegates in 2014 as a way of achieving this goal. There is little to no research regarding the promotion of or specific preparation for residency education by entry-level physical therapy education programs (ELPTPs). If the Physical Therapy profession is preparing to move to a point where residency is more prevalent, or mandatory, it will be important to understand how ELPTPs are preparing for this change. The purpose of this study is to establish a foundational understanding of the national prevalence of curriculum designed to inform and prepare physical therapy students for post-graduate residency programs.
Number of Subjects:
Seventy seven program directors of CAPTE accredited Entry-Level Physical Therapy Programs (ELPTPs) were included in this study.
Materials and Methods:
A cross-sectional survey was distributed to respondents utilizing SurveyMonkey to understand the educational opportunities provided by ELPTPS regarding residency programs. In addition to demographic information related to the individual participant and the academic program, the survey sought to collect information regarding the goals of the program as they relate to students applying to and completing residency education. The survey also sought information regarding opportunities available to students to facilitate interest in and/or prepare for residency programs.
Results:
Of the 233 program directors that were invited to participate, 150 opened the survey, and 77 responded (33%) representing a wide geographic and demographic distribution. Of the respondents, 21% have goals or expected outcomes for how many graduates apply to PT residency, and for those who do not have goals or expected outcomes, only 10% indicate that it is part of their strategic plan (within 5 years) to add them. 76% of respondents monitor the number of their graduates that apply to residency programs, and for those who do not, 28% indicate that it is part of their strategic plan to do so. 86.5% of respondents are generally opposed to a movement toward mandatory residency education in the field of physical therapy.
Conclusions:
There appears to be a discrepancy between the profession’s stated goal to expand residency opportunities in physical therapy and the goals/expected outcomes and curriculum of ELPTPs.
Clinical Relevance:
Additional efforts may be required In order for the Physical Therapy profession to achieve its goal of expansion of residency education. ELPTPs may benefit from the development of a model curriculum in order to inform and prepare students for residency education.