Our Mission and Goals

The mission of the Duke Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship is to develop and graduate practitioners who by virtue of their critical thinking ability, clinical skills, diagnostic competence, and ethical standards are committed to promoting the optimum health and function of their clients and who will serve the larger society and profession through teaching, administration and/or research.

The clinical fellowship program’s goals and objectives are directed toward an in-depth experience in the management of our patients across the lifespan and are based on Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy Description of Advanced Specialty Practice (AAOMPT). These goals are listed below.

• Advancement of the profession, specifically the practice of orthopaedic manual physical therapy
• Improvement of access for patients to qualified orthopaedic manual physical therapists
• Development of professional behaviors of our fellows, specifically in terms of lifelong learning, participating in the development and use of evidence to support our practice, and thoughtful application of manual therapy principles

What Makes Our Program Unique

The fellowship incorporates both didactic learning experiences and clinical mentoring to elevate the PT to the level of a master clinician. As a part of a large teaching hospital, our program can offer a variety of unique learning experiences such as shadowing physicians, observing procedures, assisting with Duke’s DPT program and participating in research opportunities.

After successful completion of the curriculum, the fellow is eligible to apply for fellowship status with AAOMPT.

Program Highlights

Throughout the year of your fellowship, you will receive direct 1:1 clinical mentoring in the orthopedic manual physical therapy setting. There is also a weekly didactic curriculum focused on enhancing your knowledge of manual therapy as well as opportunities to contribute to orthopedic research.

Another important role you will have is that of teacher. You will be expected to assist with Duke’s DPT program as an instructor in their orthopedic curriculum.

In addition, you will have opportunities to observe Duke physicians both in clinic and while performing surgery to help enhance your knowledge of various orthopedic conditions and how best to treat them in the manual physical therapy setting.

How to Apply

All applicants must have at least one of the following: completion of an APTA accredited Orthopaedic Residency Program or be board certified in Orthopaedics by the ABPTS.

Applications open October 1st, 2024. Interested individuals can fill out an application via RF-PTCAS to apply.  All applications for the 2025 – 2026 residency are due by December 1, 2024.

Financial Information

Click here to see the ABPTRFE Program Financial Fact Sheet for this program.