FAQs

Yes, we accept applications from new graduates

We welcome applications from both inside and outside of Upstream Rehab Partners. For many, applying to residency and for employment occur simultaneously.  As a resident, you must be employed by Upstream Rehab Partners before matriculation into the program. We are happy to assist in that process. Please reach out to us at SportsResidency@urpt.com  during the residency application process and we will connect you with the hiring team in your desired area(s).

We have several sports residency locations across the country and are always looking for additional locations to host a sports resident. Sites must maintain a minimum of 40% “athletic population” across the age continuum.  The site must also have outreach ATC opportunities available to the residents and strongly encouraged to have MD (sports medicine) collaboration and observation.  Participants typically will relocate to a sports residency location for the duration of their residency year and then transition to a predetermined location to fulfill their commitment following the program.

If proposing a new site within the Upstream Rehab network, additional resident site and/or mentor site approval processes may apply.  Please click HERE to see currently approved sites by state.

You must be eligible for licensure prior to matriculation into the program. Participants are able to start the program on a temporary license where applicable, but must obtain state licensure prior to full matriculation.

Seats are limited to 10 participants at this time, but we are always looking for additional opportunities to grow the program.

The sports physical therapy residency program is a 12 month program that begins in January of every year and culminates in mid-December of the same calendar year.

Yes, you will be considered a full time employee with a commensurate salary and competitive benefits package.

Yes- the URI Sports Physical Therapy Residency is accredited by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE). It has been accredited since 2014 and was reaccredited in December 2020.

Qualified applicants participate in a video conference interview with the program director, faculty and past/present cohort participants. Selection is based on the outcomes of the application process, which includes three letters of reference, experience, interview results, and overall director determination of readiness for the program.

No, at this time the sports residency is a full time, 12 month program.

After the completion of the program the sports resident has a 24- month pro-rated commitment. Participants typically will relocate to a sports residency location for the duration of their residency year and then transition to a predetermined location to fulfill their commitment following the program.

The residency curriculum includes five primary components including:

1. Mentorship: 150 hours of clinical mentoring with an approved mentor holding board certification
2. Clinical Practice: 1650 clinical practice hours at an approved clinical site
3. Athletic Venue Coverage: 200 athletic venue coverage hours completed jointly with ATC, SCS, or MD in a variety of sport and military settings
4. Blended Didactic Coursework: Programming includes 6 modules including Emergency Management and Advanced Clinical Reasoning, Spine, Lower Quarter, Upper Quarter, Return to Play Strategies, Special Topics. Each module consists of online didactic education and a live weekend lab intensive
5. Specialty Track: Specialization to include a deeper dive into your sport of choice. This project includes development of a presentation in an area of interest, development and presentation of an injury screen, and development of a community outreach plan.

Each resident receives a minimum of 150 1:1 hours with an assigned mentor. Up to 50 of those hours may be at the mentor’s clinic location.  The remaining hours must be completed with the resident’s caseload to facilitate clinical reasoning with your own patients. Typically mentoring is 4 hours per week but this is flexible depending on the needs of the resident and mentor.

Mentoring is always a structured experience in regards to each session, but the venue may be flexible. A core value for URI is adaptability and we therefore allow mentoring to occur at the resident’s clinic, the mentor’s clinic, or a combination of both locations (most common). There are options for a portion of hours to be completed virtually as well.

We offer didactic coursework through multiple mediums to allow for unique opportunities and experiences.  Our program consists of use of current technology to include online coursework, live lab and manual work and techniques in collaboration with fellow residents in a group setting.

Utilizing a blended learning format allows us to provide a collaborative experience from our entire highly qualified faculty regardless of location, allowing for a diverse experience through several learning styles.

While most physical therapy programs are great at training general therapists, a residency is a way to improve clinical decision-making and treatment interventions in a structured program with guided mentorship in a specific area. Sports residency in particular is a way to blend an interest in orthopedic knowledge with rehabilitation and enhancing performance of an athletic population.

Upstream Rehabilitation  (URPT) is the largest dedicated outpatient physical therapy provider in the U.S. with 24 different brands covering 28 states.  Upstream Rehab Institute (URI) is the education division of URPT that is comprised of our four post-professional residency and fellowship programs: Orthopedic Residency, Sports Residency, Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship & Hand Therapy Fellowship.  Participants of these four programs are required to be employed by an URPT clinic by the start of the program.  To explore all of the URPT clinic sites and brands, please CLICK HERE.

Each clinical site where a resident practices patient care or receives mentoring needs to be approved by our accrediting body, ABPTRFE.  Some general requirements for approval include:

• • The clinic must see a minimum of a 40% athletic caseload
  • There must be a mentor or potential mentor within a reasonable distance
  • The clinic must support a full caseload for the number of therapists employed by that location (this often excludes clinics that are less than 6 months old)

If you anticipate the need for submitting a new site, please APPLY AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE .  The site approval process can take up to 6 months in some cases and, when not done prior to the program start date, can delay graduation.

The application in RF-PTCAS is the best place to start.  Applications are open from January 1 – October 15th for normal rolling admissions.  As we receive completed applications, we will invite candidates for video conference interviews and offer conditional acceptances for the following cohort.   Acceptances are conditional upon employment with URPT, site approvals and available mentors in the candidate’s local area.

Please note, RF-PTCAS closes their application system every year from September 1-30^th for maintenance.  For those wishing to apply later in the year, we do have a brief LATE APPLICATION PERIOD from October 1^st – 15^th and will offer interviews and acceptances based on available space remaining in the next cohort.

Typically all acceptances are made no later than November 1^st for the cohort that begins the following January.