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Pediatric Residency Program

book_2 Learning Mode: Hybrid

In collaboration with MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and out-patient pediatric clinics and South Carolina Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND), the MUSC Division of Physical Therapy offers a pediatric residency for licensed physical therapists. This residency is accredited through the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE).

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Mission Statement

In support of the mission of the Division of Physical Therapy, the mission of the post-professional physical therapy residencies at the Medical University of South Carolina is to develop reflective practitioners who constantly seek evidence to promote and provide excellent child and family-integrated care, optimize functional outcomes and life’s participation, utilize financial and physical resources efficiently, and strive for life long learning. 

About the Pediatric Residency Program

Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) has a rich 43-year history of educating physical therapists at the entry- and post-professional levels. Our experienced academic and clinical faculty are board-certified in orthopedic, neurological, pediatric, and cardiopulmonary physical therapy, and are enthusiastic about residency education.

The MUSC Physical Therapy Pediatric Residency program will provide the resident with experiences involving a complex and varied patient population by collaborating with the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital, MUSC Pediatric Outpatient Therapy Department, and Dorchester School District Two for a minimum of 1,728 clinical hours. The South Carolina Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (SC LEND) will provide interprofessional and statewide opportunities through additional collaborations with the University of South Carolina and Prisma Health System.

The MUSC Physical Therapy Pediatric Residency program utilizes an innovative hybrid model. Although the resident is a full-time employee at the Medical University Hospital Authority, which supports frequent face-to-face resident and faculty interactions, many didactic portions of the residency curriculum are delivered through online modules. Active learning strategies are used by MUSC academic, clinical, and SC LEND faculty members to deliver comprehensive pediatric content in a post-professional environment.

Our program covers all areas of the Description of Residency Practice: Pediatrics with learning activities in pediatric foundational sciences, leadership, teaching and learning, motor learning, evidence-based practice and statistics, professional behaviors and clinical excellence. Residents participate in over 500 hours of didactic and laboratory course work and receive a minimum of 150 hours of 1:1 mentoring time with a board-certified pediatric clinical specialist.

The one-year Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency at MUSC is designed to advance a clinician’s skills and knowledge concerning child and family integrated care in physical therapy supported by the best evidence, clinical expertise, and child and family values. The residency partners with the MUSC Hospital Authority and SCLEND program. The pediatric residency currently accepts one resident annually.

Residency components include:

  • Independent patient care
  • One-on-one mentoring
  • A community-based/experiential project
  • Case presentations
  • Didactic and laboratory coursework designed to provide a basis for advanced clinical practice using both online and face-to-face learning formats.
  • Humanities-based instruction
  • Optional Global Health experience

Residents are licensed physical therapists and receive a salary and benefits package from their clinical employer. The employer provides the mentor who trains in mentoring through MUSC. 

The MUSC Physical Therapy Pediatric Residency is accredited by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE) council of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).

Residents who successfully complete the Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency receive a certificate of completion from MUSC and documentation to apply residency hours towards continuing education certification with the state of South Carolina. Graduates are eligible to take the pediatric specialist certification examination administered by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS) and should apply for the examination while they are participating in the residency.

Pediatric Residency Admissions

Who should participate in a residency?

The Pediatric Residency program at MUSC is for physical therapists with at least 6 months or more of pediatric experience levels. Pediatric physical therapists who are two to three years post-graduation will find the residency to be motivating and refreshing. It is a wonderful opportunity to improve your knowledge base and clinical skills.

Admission Requirements

To apply to this program, you must meet the following criteria:

  • Graduated from a CAPTE approved physical therapy program.
  • Have a license to practice physical therapy in South Carolina or be eligible for a license without restriction.
  • Demonstrated 6 months of pediatric clinical practice.
  • Eventually apply for a Pediatric Physical Therapy employment position with the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital. Applicants will be notified by the Cindy Dodds, PT, Ph.D., PCS as when to complete this employment application.

Application Process

In addition to meeting the criteria outlined above, applicants must:

  • Submit a correct and complete application through RF-PTCAS
  • Apply through RF-PTCAS is the preferred process, but applicants may also apply by submitting a correct and complete application including all required ed documentation. All documentation should be combined into 1 PDF and emailed to Cindy Dodds, PT, PhD, PCS at doddscb@musc.edu
  • The application process opens on October 1, 2025 and closes on January 12, 2026. Two pediatric residents will be accepted.

Required Documentation

The top five resident interviewees will apply for the pediatric physical therapy employment position with the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and complete the final interview process with the Department of Physical Therapy leadership and team members. Two pediatric residents will be accepted.

Financial Fact Sheet (PDF)

Curriculum

The South Carolina Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (SC LEND) will make up 300 of the 500 hours of didactic education within the MUSC Physical Therapy Pediatric Residency. SC LEND long term trainees will be provided graduate level interprofessional training through academic, clinical, and community opportunities. The additional 200 didactic hours will focus on current innovative, evidence-based pediatric rehabilitation centered around child and family integrated care. All aspects of the Description of Residency Practice: Pediatrics will be addresses across the 11 months of the residency. Instructional design and humanities-based instruction will be included to enhance teaching and affective development in the resident. A voluntary global health experience is an elective within the residency.

Didactic experiences will be complemented by direct patient care and observations across a variety of settings including hospital, outpatient, school-based, and early intervention. Clinical participation and observations will also play a role within the residency programming.

The resident will participate in the following learning activities:

  • Reading assignments from scientific and clinical publications, clinical practice guidelines, and textbooks.
  • Critical reviewing and discussion of relevant clinical evidence.
  • Sharing of evidence with colleagues and faculty.
  • Assignments and examinations to ensure success on the Pediatric Clinical Specialist examination.
  • Literature searches associated with case reports development.
  • In-service and/or state conference presentations.
  • Service learning/experiential learning project.

Program Outcomes

Four residents have successfully graduated from the MUSC Physical Therapy Pediatric Residency program. One hundred percent of residents have graduated from the MUSC Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency. Julia Schroeder and Megan Marra have successfully become a Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy. Kali Decker and Meghan Andrews will sit for American Board of Physical Therapy Specialty Certification exam in the Spring of 2025.

Kelly Boyle, PT, DPT

2024-2025 Pediatric Resident

Ethan Lyle, PT, DPT

2024-2025 Pediatric Resident

Meghan Andrews, PT, DPT

2023-2024 Pediatric Resident

Kali Decker, PT, DPT

2022-2023 Pediatric Resident

Megan Marra, PT, DPT

2021-2022 Pediatric Resident

Julia Schroeder, PT, DPT

2020-2021 Pediatric Resident

Contact Us

Residency Director

Cindy Dodds, PT, Ph.D., PCS
doddscb@musc.edu
(843) 792-5731

Residency Coordinator 

Lori Bartleson, PT, DPT, PCS
bartlesl@musc.edu