Sports Physical Therapy Residency Program

Overview

This residency is accredited through the American Board Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE).

Graduates are eligible to sit for the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties examination in Sports Physical Therapy.

Cleveland Clinic is a multi-specialty academic medical center dedicated to excellence in health care. It is home to one of the finest Sports Medicine programs in the United States. Cleveland Clinic’s Section of Sports Medicine provides comprehensive quality care to people of all ages for musculoskeletal problems and other complex sports and orthopaedic pathologies. The Sports Medicine team of researchers, educators, and clinicians includes primary care sports medicine physicians, orthopaedic surgeons, physical therapists, athletic trainers, exercise physiologists, and dietitians working in collaboration to deliver world class care.

Cleveland Clinic's Sports Physical Therapy Residency is a full time, intensive program designed to significantly advance the clinical knowledge, skills and competencies required to excel in the field of sports medicine. The residency program will have a strong emphasis on clinical, didactic and research components associated with all aspects of sports medicine. It is designed to advance the knowledge and skills of Physical Therapists in five main areas:

• Critical inquire/evidence based practice.
• Educational/consultation.
• Advanced clinical skills.
• Foundational and clinical sciences.
• Health promotion, fitness and wellness.

The resident will spend the majority of his/her time at the Sports Medicine Center: a stand alone, state-of-the art sports medicine complex complete with outpatient surgery suites, offices and exam rooms, on-site imaging, a large functional rehabilitation gym and aquatic therapy.

Outcomes

The graduation rate for the Cleveland Clinic Sports Residency is 100%.

Curriculum

Sports Coverage

The sports physical therapy resident will perform on field sports coverage in excess of 300 hours (ABPTRFE requirement is 200). The resident will have a primary high school and college which he/she works alongside Athletic Trainers and Team Physicians to provide acute medical services. The resident will also spend 1 to 2 afternoons per week in the high school and college training rooms providing Physical Therapy services to NCAA and high school athletes.

The resident will cover a variety of sports including football, basketball, hockey, lacrosse, wrestling, road races, and other community outreach events as they occur. The resident will spend 3 full weeks with the high school during football pre-season. The resident will also have the opportunity to work with the Cleveland Guardians (MLB) and Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA).

Mentoring and Patient Care

Four hours/week will be dedicated to working 1:1 with a mentor for a minimum of 150 hours. There are several mentors within the program including Sports Clinical Specialists (SCS), Orthopaedic Clinical Specialists (OCS), and Team Physical Therapists for Cleveland professional teams.

Non-mentored patient care will include a minimum of 1500 clinical hours and averages 25 to 30 hours per week. The resident will carry a patient load of sports and orthopaedic patients, with a minimum of 40% case load dedicated specifically to sports injuries.

Didactic Education and Research

The curriculum includes 20+ educational units of lecture/lab related to sports medicine and rehabilitation. The resident will have regularly 1:1 in-person lectures with faculty members. The resident will be responsible for preparing and delivering several presentations on various topics of interest related to the individual units.

The resident will have 4 hours/week dedicated to independent research. The resident will design, conduct, and complete one research project under the guidance of a research mentor. The resident will be expected to submit for platform presentation at Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) and potentially submit for publishing.

Experience and Training

The resident will attend weekly Fellows Conferences, Research / Indications Conferences, monthly Grand Rounds. The resident will have the opportunity to observe physicians in office and in the operating room. The resident will be exposed to multiple procedures, including Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and prolotherapy injections, extracorpeal shockwave therapy, and diagnostic imaging. The resident will work in group settings along with medical residents, and primary care / surgical sports medicine fellows.

ABPTRFE Cleveland Clinic Financial Fact Sheet

Application Process

Program Dates

Duration: 18 months (Mid-July, 2025 - January 31, 2027)
Deadline: Application must be received by December 1, 2024
Location: Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine Center
Director: Daniel Hass, PT, DPT, SCS, FAAOMPT

How to Apply

One Sports Physical Therapy Resident position is available every other year (odd number years). The Program utilizes the Centralized Application Process outlined on the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education website.