The American Board of Physical Therapy Residency & Fellowship Education is seeking volunteers for a task force that will advise ABPTRFE with findings and recommendations for consideration of establishing an accelerated DPT to residency program model.
Applications are due by February 22, 2024. Appointments will occur by ABPTRFE at the March 22, 2024 Executive Committee meeting.
Members
ABPTRFE shall appoint seven physical therapist members to serve on the DPT to Residency Accelerated Pathway Task Force. Members will represent a variety of backgrounds including:
• ABPTRFE recognized residency practice areas.
• ABPTRFE-accredited program (e.g., academic-based, hospital-based, private practice).
• ABPTRFE-accredited program types (single-site, multi-facility, multi-site).
• Current and former resident.
• DPT program.
This task force will seek consultation from ABPTRFE, ABPTS, CAPTE, DPT students, as well as directors of programs who have established a proposed accelerated DPT to residency pathway.
Terms of Appointment
April 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024
Qualifications for Appointees
• Must be an APTA member in good standing.
• Significant knowledge and expertise in physical therapist education and the learner continuum (DPT, residency).
• Significant knowledge and experience with residency accreditation.
• Ability to envision different future possibilities for residency education and understand the current models for physical therapist education and post-professional program accreditation.
• Knowledge and experience in educational outcomes assessment.
• Strong ability to communicate effectively in both written and verbal formats.
• Strong ability to function effectively in a team format.
• Ability to meet on a regular basis and complete assigned tasks in a timely manner.
Tasks
1) Investigate the existence of similar program models in other professions and identify the positive and negative implications on the profession, participant, and program.
2) Investigate and identify any implications of an accelerated pathway related to:
o CAPTE accreditation.
o PT licensure.
o ABPTS certification.
o Finances (program and student).
o Residency areas of practice appropriate for this program model and implications to other residency practice areas
3) Determine the desirability of a DPT to residency accelerated program model.
4) Examine the feasibility of this program model to increase residency training opportunities (increased residency training positions).
5) Investigate any potential negative implications or unintended consequences on non-academic institution residency programs.
6) Determine the impact on ABPTRFE Quality Standards by identifying potential modifications to current standards that would be necessary to accommodate an accelerated program model.
7) Describe the differences in admissions considerations for an accelerated program model and how a program would determine a participant’s ability to succeed in the accelerated program format.
8) Determine if a uniform or standard curriculum structure and timeline should be adopted to support an accelerated DPT to residency program model.
9) Provide recommendations to ABPTRFE on next steps in the process (e.g., pilot the process, abandon the process).
10) Describe the process and evaluative criteria that will be utilized for long-term outcomes assessment to determine effectiveness of an accelerated DPT to Residency pathway (e.g., Quantity: producing more residents; Efficiency: producing better prepared residents [quality] or producing a more affordable educational pathway [lowered costs]; etc.).
11) Provide interim reports to ABPTRFE before each ABPTRFE meeting (May and Sept. 2024) with a final report and recommendations submitted to ABPTRFE for the Jan. 2025 meeting.
Meetings
This task force will meet at least monthly using a virtual platform.
Have questions? Email resfel@apta.org.