The orthopedic physical therapy residency within the UNMC College of Allied Health Professions recently received full initial accreditation from the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education through January 2028.
This 13-month, post-professional training program includes a structured didactic curriculum, clinical practice and weekly one-on-one mentoring at Nebraska Medicine’s Lauritzen Outpatient Center, along with observation with physicians and other rehab providers, teaching in the area of orthopedics and completion of a scholarly activity project.
Each year, up to two residents are accepted into the program, which starts around the first of August. The inaugural cohort of residents, Renee Herbers and Caleb Nabower, graduated in August 2022, and the current orthopedic resident, Hena Ybay, is scheduled to complete all program requirements this month.
Graduates of an accredited physical therapy residency program qualify to sit for that specialty’s board examination and have higher first-time pass rates than non-residency graduates.
The accreditation process is a highly structured process, which formally started at UNMC in 2020, as the residency was being developed. Accreditation focuses on assuring programs deliver and that participants complete quality programs to support continuous improvement that enhances patient care and advances the profession.
The accreditation board’s quality standards provide programs with a framework to demonstrate and communicate their commitment to physical therapists through the achievement of its mission, goals and outcomes.
Betsy Becker, DPT, PhD, chair of the UNMC Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and program director for the physical therapy program, thanked Residency Program Director Megan Frazee, DPT, Residency Clinical Coordinator Mike Wellsandt, DPT, and everyone involved in the accreditation process.
“Our residency program advances opportunities in Nebraska to help grow the availability of orthopedic physical therapy clinical specialists in our area,” Dr. Becker said. “Thank you to all who contributed to reach this milestone.”
Dr. Frazee also expressed gratitude to everyone involved in the process. “Creating the first physical therapy residency program at UNMC involved multiple stakeholders who have been involved in the development and accreditation process,” she said. “From UNMC College of Allied Health Professions and Nebraska Medicine leadership to the individual faculty, staff and residents, this was a collective effort.”
For more information, visit the orthopedic PT residency website.