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Our Mission

The mission of residency programs within Division of Physical Therapy and UNC Hospitals is to provide a superior, comprehensive, specialist training to licensed physical therapists to meet the needs of North Carolina and beyond. For the UNC Pediatric Physical Therapy residency, this mission is applied to physical therapists and their work with pediatric patients.

Residency Program Philosophy

The faculty and staff of the Division of Physical Therapy and UNC Hospitals are committed to developing residents who are recognized leaders within pediatric physical therapy. Residents will develop excellence in examination, diagnosis, intervention, consultation, teaching and the integration of best evidence into the patient care they provide. They will develop as a resource for the community in pediatrics and will contribute to the profession through teaching, writing, and leadership. Graduates of the residency program will be prepared to sit for the ABPTS Pediatric Certified Specialist (PCS) examination.

Program Structure

The program’s curriculum is designed in modules that address all areas of the pediatric Description of Specialty Practice (DSP). The modules include study in the topics of clinical reasoning, evidence-based practice, teaching and learning, acute care, school-based PT, Early Intervention, and outpatient care. The resident will also participate in the Leadership in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) fellowship at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities. Didactic work is a combination of online study, individualized face-to-face instruction by module mentors, and two interdisciplinary problem-based learning courses through LEND. Weekly assignments and module-specific mentor assessments provide the resident with regular benchmarks to ensure their learning progresses throughout the year. There are two written exams and two live patient exams administered at approximately the middle and end of the program. The resident is responsible for two to three independent work days a week during the residency program.

Have Questions About the Program?

FAQ's

Program Outcomes

  • One hundred percent of our graduates have passed the PCS exam on the first attempt.
  • The program has a 100% completion rate.
  • 2016-17 graduate serves as adjunct faculty in our DPT program
  • 2018-2019 graduate’s case report published in Pediatric Physical Therapy journal

Admission Information

  • Application will open on October 1. (See RF-PTCAS)
  • Application deadline is the first Friday in January.
  • Strong applications will be invited for an on-campus interview on Friday February 17.

Additional helpful resources:

ABPTRFE Accreditation Status:

The University of North Carolina Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency program is accredited by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education as a post-professional residency program for physical therapists in pediatrics.