Physical Therapy Geriatric Residency Program

A physical therapist works with an older patient climbing the stairs

The MUSC Physical Therapy Geriatric Residency has been granted Candidacy Status by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency & Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE).

Applications Closed: For more information on future application cycles, please contact Kenneth L. Miller at milleken@musc.edu.

About the Program

The MUSC Physical Therapy Geriatric Residency program aims to elevate practice promoting optimal aging and improving the health of older adults through movement. The program is holistic by including the social determinants of health and integrating best practices understanding the role of the interprofessional team. Topics will include professionalism, patient management, communication, motivational theory, the 5 Ms of geriatric practice (matters most, mobility, mentation, medication, multicomplexity), and the 3 Ds of cognition (delirium, dementia & depression.)

The residency is designed as a hybrid program, blending clinical experience, and mentoring with online and in-person didactic work. Throughout the residency, the resident will attend weekly virtual meetings as well as four intensive weekends in Charleston, SC throughout the year.

This program is designed to advance your practice and prepare you for the Geriatric Physical Therapy Specialist Certification (GCS) Examination.

A physical therapist works with an older patient to balance and toss a ball

Curriculum

The curriculum for the residency program includes training in the management of patients with a wide variety of geriatric conditions as guided by the APTA’s Description of Specialty Practice. However, the MUSC program also includes topics designed to improve all aspects of being a therapist, including the Geriatric 5M’s model of patient management, movement analysis, statistical interpretation, business management, professionalism, cultural competency, and teaching and learning theory. Clear communication and education is paramount to being a leader in the profession, all residents produce several written analysis projects and also teach at least one content module.

Focused weekends occur in Charleston four times per year to address the following topics:

  • Functional Assessment and Interventions
  • Low bone health (osteopenia/osteoporosis) management/Postural testing and interventions
  • CVA / Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
  • Vestibular disorders / Senior Concussion / Balance assessment and intervention
  • Incontinence / Frailty Management / Parkinson’s Disease 

The curriculum totals approximately 300 hours of didactic training including live classroom experiences in Charleston, virtual classroom experiences, and recorded lectures in addition to a minimum of 150 1:1 hours of mentoring.

Mentoring

Each resident is mentored by an employee of the clinical partner, and involves at least 150 hours of 1:1 time together, 100 of which must be in patient care. Mentoring a resident is different than mentoring an entry level student, as many residents will enter the program with some degree of clinical experience.

The resident-mentor relationship:

  • Is a partnership in which the mentor actively supports the professional growth and development of a resident
  • Is a reciprocal and evolutionary process
  • Challenges AND supports
  • Promotes knowledge translation (how does that gained knowledge relate to this patient situation today)?
  • Helps the resident integrate the knowledge – not the mentor’s responsibility to provide the knowledge
  • Teaches the resident how to learn so they can approach any future situation
  • Opens discussions of intention versus impact
  • Guides clinician to finding their own professional identity
  • Strives to provide just the right amount of challenge, just the right amount of support at the right time to obtain learning and professional growth
  • Promotes rapid transformation of research into clinical practice

About MUSC

MUSC has a rich 40+ year history of educating physical therapists at the entry- and post-professional levels. Our academic and clinical faculty have many years of clinical and educational experience in various specialties, holding board certifications in orthopedic, neurological, and pediatric physical therapy.

Program Mission

In support of the mission of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Division of Physical Therapy, the mission of MUSC Geriatric Physical Therapy Residency is to develop reflective practitioners who constantly seek evidence to promote excellence in patient care; optimize functional outcomes; improve the health of older adults; optimize aging; and utilize financial and physical resources efficiently. Likewise, the residency strives to promote a lifetime of learning among the residency graduates; develop a culture of continuous improvement; and identify opportunities to shape the future of geriatric physical therapist practice.

Residency Outcomes

Graduation Rate: Data will be available when the first cohort graduates. 

ABPTS Geriatric Specialty Exam Pass Rate: Data will be available when the first cohort completes the exam.

Admissions Information

Admissions Policy

The holistic admissions process aims to build a Geriatric Residency class that includes diverse individual characteristics and backgrounds, preparing students for the diversity they will experience in their practice. For the admissions process, we intend to promote a diverse learning experience for students in the program and to create a class of graduates that will, as a group, achieve excellence across the many domains of physical therapy. Our consideration of diversity will include racial and ethnic background as well as several other factors contributing to a class with various life experiences. 

The goals of the admission process for the Geriatric Residency at the Medical University of South Carolina are to:

  1. Identify the most qualified applicants through a fair and equitable admissions process.
  2. Enroll highly qualified individuals with the most significant potential to become Certified Geriatric Therapists.

Admissions Requirements

To apply to this program, you must:

  • Must graduate from a CAPTE-accredited PT program
  • Must have a PT license in the state they will be practicing in
  • Must be employed full-time at a partnering clinical institution
  • Must demonstrate membership to the APTA
  • Applications open from March and close mid-July
  • The Program starts on the first Thursday of September

Application Process

Partner Facilities

Our current partner facilities include:

  • Medical University of South Carolina
  • Roper Hospital
  • Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital
  • Roper St Francis Home Health
  • Bishop Gadsden Skilled Nursing Facility

If you are interested in becoming a clinical partner, please contact Kenneth L. Miller, millenken@musc.edu.