Physical therapy rotation

Deadline: Applications are accepted between Feb. 1-29, 2024, the year before the clinical rotation. Applications for 2025 rotations, for example, must be in by Feb. 29, 2024.

Submit: Email the following information to Wesley McGeachy, PT, DPT at rehabclined@ohsu.

• Curriculum vitae
• Cover letter that includes:
  • Clinical setting of interest (such as outpatient, acute care, or pediatrics). Listing your top 2 is ok. 
  • Desired populations to focus on while in a rotation here (to facilitate CI pairing)
  • Length of rotation and all date options
  • Expected graduation date
  • Why you’re interested in a rotation specifically at OHSU

Evaluation: Preference will be given to applicants who:

• Apply between Feb. 1 and Feb. 29. Those who apply later will vie for first-come, first-served opportunities pending an interview.
• Are interested in rotations longer than eight weeks.
• Attend schools with an active OHSU contract; check with your ACCE/DCE.

The process:

• After Feb. 29, Wesley McGeachy will contact each student to set up a 15- to 20-minute phone interview.
• Students will be notified of acceptance by April 30. Unsuccessful applicants will also be notified.

Schedule: We realize that every school has a different schedule for choosing clinical affiliations. If you think this schedule won’t work for your program, please email Wesley McGeachy at rehabclined@ohsu with an explanation. Special circumstances will be considered, though first priority will still go to students who apply by Feb 29.

Speech-language pathology rotation

Deadline: Applications are accepted between Feb. 15 and the first Friday of April the year before the clinical rotation.

Submit: Email the following to Samantha Richards, SLP, at richasam@ohsu.edu.

• Curriculum vitae
• Cover letter that includes:
  • Area or areas of interest
  • Length of rotation and all date options
  • Expected graduation date
  • Why you’re interested in a rotation specifically at OHSU

The process:

• After the first Friday of April each year, we will contact applicants for interviews.
• Students will be notified of acceptance by April 30. Unsuccessful applicants will also be notified.

Schedule: We realize that every school has a different schedule for choosing clinical affiliations. If you think this schedule won’t work for your program, please email Samantha Richards, SLP, at richasam@ohsu.edu with an explanation. Special circumstances will be considered, though first priority will still go to students who apply by the first Friday of April each year.

Occupational therapy rotation

We offer occupational fieldwork rotations at OHSU and OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.

Deadline: Applications are accepted between Feb. 1-29, 2024, the year before the clinical rotation. Applications for 2025 rotations, for example, must be in by Feb. 29, 2024.

Submit: Email the following to Christian Scarcella, O.T.R.L. at rehabclined@ohsu.edu.

• Curriculum vitae
• Cover letter that includes:
  • Fieldwork level (1 or 2) and position in academic program
  • Length of rotation and all date options
  • Patient population (if adult rotation), such as neuro, ortho, cardiac, etc.
  • Why you’re interested in a rotation specifically at OHSU

Evaluation: Preference will be given to applicants who:

• Apply between Feb. 1 and Feb. 29. Those who apply later will vie for first-come, first-served opportunities pending an interview.
• Are interested in final fieldwork rotations in the last year of an occupational therapy program.
• Attend schools with an active OHSU contract; check with your ACCE/DCE.

The process:

• Applicants will be contacted to set up a 30-minute phone interview.
• After all interviews, students will be notified of acceptance within two weeks. Unsuccessful applicants will also be notified.

Program goals

• Support the mission and vision of OHSU and Rehabilitation Services by contributing to the professional advancement of future leaders in physical therapy who provide ethical, evidence-based and high-quality patient care.
• Receive and sustain American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education credentialed status.
• Provide enough clinical and didactic learning experiences to prepare the resident for the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties exam and to become an orthopaedic clinical specialist.
• Create a comprehensive orthopaedic curriculum that incorporates the Description of Specialty Practice, unique offerings and collaborative relationships across disciplines at OHSU and in the community.
• Provide advanced clinical training in a hospital-based outpatient physical therapy setting through mentorship by clinical faculty and staff while ensuring exposure to a diverse patient population.
• Provide resident and faculty teaching opportunities through collaboration with the George Fox University and Pacific University physical therapy programs, and within the OHSU Rehabilitation Department.

Program description

Our program offers one year of advanced post-professional training focused on outpatient orthopaedic physical therapy care. Resident training includes:

• Clinical excellence through advanced mentoring with highly qualified clinical experts and OCS-certified (orthopaedic clinical specialist) clinicians.
• Teaching and research via arrangements with doctoral physical therapy programs at Pacific University and George Fox University.
• Community participation at events in collaboration with the OHSU sports medicine and orthopaedics departments.

Average hours per week:

• Clinical mentoring: six hours
• Didactic hours: three hours
• Independent patient care: 30 hours

Mentoring:

• The residency director mentors residents throughout the year. The focus is on advanced clinical reasoning, motivational interviewing, therapeutic alliance and shared goal setting.
• Clinical staff members mentor residents during two- to six-week intervals focusing on clinical specialty areas. Content is closely aligned with the Current Concepts monographs that guide preparation for the OCS examination. 

Program Costs:

• There are no program costs associated with the residency program.

Download OHSU's ABPTRFE financial fact sheet for 2023-2024 (Word document)

Admissions criteria

Selected applicants will undergo a formal interview in early 2024.  

Applicants must:

• Have proof of Oregon state physical therapy licensure, in good standing. Applicants with temporary licensure may apply but must be fully licensed before the August start date.
• Meet all requirements outlined in the job description.
• Complete all residency application requirements, both through RF-PTCAS portal and OHSU residency program application requirements.
• In addition to the PTCAS, applicants must apply to the OHSU physical therapy resident position through our jobs portal.

We look for candidates who:

• Are motivated, self-directed, professional and eager to advance their clinical practice.
• Show initiative, strong communication skills and a vision for leadership in the profession.
• Can juggle multiple demands on their time.
• Can frequently reflect on their performance.
• Have letters of recommendation and a letter of intent.

Program outcomes

The orthopedic physical therapy program has a 100% graduation rate and 100% pass rate of the Orthopedic Clinical Specialist Exam.