Sports Residency Program
As one of the leading Outpatient Physical Therapy practices in the United States, we are proud to offer our Sports Residency program.
Our Sports Residency program is a combination of coursework, independent study, extensive mentoring, physician shadowing, field coverage, grand rounds, and clinical practice. The result is accelerated learning for you to become a Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialist. It can take years of practice and study to become an expert clinician. Residency education speeds that process through concentrated learning. This program will be a challenge and we are confident that the skills and knowledge gained will be worth it!
Mission
Our mission is to improve the standard of Sports PT practice through education. We seek to provide our participants with a comprehensive model that integrates the latest evidence in Sports Medicine, with hands-on training that has been shown to consistently deliver better clinical outcomes
Perks
- Set yourself apart: less than 2% of all PTs in the USA complete a Residency program.
- TJC Sports Residency graduates have a 100% first-time pass rate at earning their board specialization.
- TJC Residency Graduates enjoy significantly higher pay.
- Graduates are prioritized for leadership roles and career advancement.
- Residency participants receive extensive 1-on-1 mentoring from our team of faculty members.
Program Timing
- The program begins each August and runs for approximately 19 months.
- The Sports Board Certification exam is typically taken in March at the end of the program.
- Graduates are required to take on a Clinical Instructor role with a DPT student in the Spring after sitting for their board exam.
Curriculum Outline
- 200 hours of sports field coverage.
- 1865 hours of clinical practice in an outpatient sports clinical environment.
- 150 hours of one-on-one mentoring while treating patients.
- Over 170 hours of a unique blended-model virtual didactic modules and live lab instruction.
- Over 40 hours of physician shadowing and sport specific in a broad range of specialties, including nutrition, strength and conditioning, and sports psychology.
- Comprehensive psychomotor skills examinations related to the body regions and field coverage performance.
- Grand Rounds in collaboration with colleagues centered around on a variety of topics.
- Guided preparation for the SCS with partial exams and prep courses.
Faculty as Stewards
The program faculty recognize that they are the stewards of the residents. As such, it is the responsibility of the faculty to facilitate the professional development of the resident to become specialists in orthopedic physical therapy.
The faculty is committed to teaching residents to manage patient care while incorporating current concepts in orthopedic research and clinical practice, balancing patient needs and maintaining multi-disciplinary collaboration.The faculty must instill in the residents creative inquiry, passion, open-mindedness, and commitment to continual interest in advancement of personal and professional growth. They are responsible to inspire residents to become actively involved in their communities and their professional organization, thereby becoming stewards of their profession.
Residents as Stewards
The Physical Therapy Residency seeks to graduate practitioners with advanced clinical skills who will become stewards of their profession through commitment to excellence in patient care, clinical knowledge, continued education, scholarly activity/research, clinical/didactic teaching, and active involvement in their professional organization and their community.
Megan Gretka, PT, DPT, OCS, PCES
Director of Sports Residency
Amanda Cronin, PT, DPT, SCS
Curriculum Coordinator
Sports Residency Program Faculty:
Join our residency team to accelerate your professional growth by developing advanced knowledge, skills and attitudes on your path to becoming an expert Sports Physical Therapist.
If you wish to apply to the residency program, click HERE and follow the steps on the ABPTRFE webpage. Feel free to contact the residency director prior to initiating or completing your application if you have any questions.
If you are an employee of TJC and wish to apply to the program, please contact the residency director directly.
Residency Director Contact:
Megan Gretka, PT, DPT, OCS, PCES (mgretka@thejacksonclinics.com)
Application Requirements include:
- Cover Letter
- Curriculum Vitae
- Three letters of recommendation from a minimum of 2 different institutions
- Complete the General Employment application process
- Live interview with the Program Director
- Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) or Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification or have taken an Emergency Medical Response (EMR) or Emergency Medical Response for the athlete (ERA) course prior to the August start date.
Minimal eligibility requirements for acceptance into the program include:
- Licensure as a Physical Therapist by the Physical Therapy Board Virginia
- Comply with all Jackson Clinics employment requirements
A desirable applicant has:
- Experience in leadership positions and a strong desire to be a leader within the company and the profession
- Completed an extended internship under the direct clinical supervision of a Clinical Specialist in Sports or Orthopedic Physical Therapy
- Superior verbal and written communication skills
- Superior time management and organizational skills
- Experience in scholarly activity of any kind, medical or non-medical
- Experience in community service of any kind, medical or non-medical
- Exposure and interest in the principles of clinical reasoning and critical thinking, manual examination and treatment procedures, and the concepts of movement system analysis.
Deadline:
Annual application deadline for the upcoming cohort is March 1st. Applications open at the end of September for the upcoming year and applicants are recommended to complete their applications as early as possible. Offers of admission to the program will be offered on a rolling basis as applications are submitted and interviews conducted until program slots are filled.
Equal Opportunity:
- The Jackson Clinics is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, gender, age, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, and disability or health status.
“The residency with TJC greatly changed my practice as a physical therapist. If nothing else, my confidence as a clinician has improved significantly. While I realize I still don’t have all of the answers, I feel more equipped to treat each of my patients with the best evidence based practice. My choice to participate in the residency was definitely a good one, and I’m excited to see where my future as a physical therapist takes me.”
“I feel like I have more questions now than when I began, but in the best way. I have learned to ask questions and find answers and learned that I can now use that knowledge to help my patients and my fellow clinicians.”
“I feel that I am much more capable of providing a complete treatment program and addressing foreseeable problems and issues that will keep my patients happier, healthier and higher functioning for longer periods of time. I am a more complete manager of cases and I feel exponentially more confident making decisions on referrals based on my shadowing experience. This was an experience that took me far away from my comfort zone and forced me to become a stronger, harder working therapist. I would recommend this program to any therapist who is looking to become more complete practitioner, expand their knowledge base and challenge their approach to patient care.”
“The major highlight of this year was attending a [Jackson Clinics] continuing education course and actually being one of the main clinicians that was able to help demonstrate and answer questions for newer clinicians. It helped me see how much I’ve learned and grown as a clinician over the last couple of years!”
“Worth moving across the country for.”
*Approved by the Virginia Physical Therapy Association – CEUL015783
PROGRAM OUTCOMES
- TJC Sports Residency graduates have a 100% first-time pass rate at earning their board specialization.
- TJC Sports Residency has a 100% graduation rate since inception.
To download our Residency’s Financial Facts Sheet, please click below:
