Residency Handbook

Well, it was very exciting to present Section 1 of the credentialing application document to the two Premier Physical Therapy and Sports Performance clinics and to let everyone know what we have been working on over the past few weeks. The information was very well received by all of the clinicians and valuable advice was given by everyone. I am now going back and making changes based on people’s recommendations including changing what we are going to ask in the application we have developed for potential residents to apply to our program. We have decided to have candidates write a personal statement as well as a professional statement to help us get a better idea of who they are as a person prior to inviting candidates for an interview.

One of my biggest struggles right now is determining what will be included in the residency handbook. I have begun a table of contents which I have noticed is going to be a work in progress throughout the development of this residency. I am going to be teaming up with another clinician to help develop this handbook as I think having the insight of somebody else will be very helpful. I am trying to include all aspects of the residency program from those required by ABPTRFE, as well as basic human resources and new hire information, and rehabilitation practice guidelines and clinical prediction rules frequently used at Premier Physical Therapy and Sports Performance.

On a side note, my clinic had a big week this week- myself and one other clinician found out we passed the SCS exam which really helps us move forward with this residency program. We now have three clinicians in our Middletown office that are sports certified specialists which will be a huge asset to our program!

Jen Flug PT, DPT, OCS, SCS

Premier Physical Therapy and Sports Performance

www.premierptsp.com

Preface

As mentioned in my previous blog, I am now taking time to work on the preface statement that will introduce the residency program and begin the application. This part has taken some thought to make it concise but also to be sure that it encompasses our true vision of a residency and what makes our facility an ideal location for a sports residency program. I have asked for the input of others as to what they would like to see the preface include and have started writing based on this.

I have also been working on the policies and procedures related to the retention (section 1.2.3.1.B) portion of the application. Pat and I really want our residency to appeal to new graduates and current physical therapists alike; therefore we had several discussions regarding this topic. We had to determine how we would word some of this for a new graduate who may not yet have obtained entry-level licensure and how this may or may not affect the program.

At this point, I have gathered the majority of the information for Section 1 of the application and will work to fine tune it all and make sure everything concisely communicates what I was intending as it is the plan to introduce all we have done to both of our clinics next week for feedback. After looking at it over and over again, I really think it will be beneficial to have a fresh set of eyes to look over everything, plus I’m very excited to show everyone where we are at and that this residency dream of mine is really going to happen!

Jen Flug PT, DPT, OCS

Premier Physical Therapy and Sports Performance

www.premierptsp.com

Section 1

I am now fully underway with beginning Section 1 of the credentialing application. After looking at all of the necessary components, I have decided to start at the top. The owners will be providing the information for the first two evidence numbers (the umbrella organization’s mission and goals and the ongoing methods used to evaluate the effectiveness of the umbrella organization’s performance). I will be working from scratch at writing the preface and developing the mission, goals and objectives for our residency program.

I explored the examples provided in the application resource manual and also looked online at residency programs that I was familiar with to see what information was accessible to help guide my process. Developing the mission came relatively easy, but developing the goals and objectives took a lot more tweaking and work. This became a joint effort with Pat (one of the clinic owners and clinician) and I. We spent several meetings looking at the goals I had previously developed to ensure that they encompassed all aspects of the residency. I also found the sports DSP to be helpful in determining objectives for each program goal that related specifically to advanced clinical practice. As a clinic, we are also very involved in the local community and made sure that the goals addressed this aspect as we feel it is important for a resident to gain this exposure and participate in community activities.

At the same time as working on the program’s mission, goals, and objectives, I am working on getting the resident application prepared for potential residency candidates to complete. Our plan is to have this application posted to our program’s website by early summer in order to begin the enrollment process for our first resident. For this candidate application I have developed the components I feel are necessary information to collect from the applicant. The first page of our application will include general information (I am working on developing questions that I would want the resident to fill out including general contact information and information regarding licensure status etc.), a written statement that will allow the candidate to express why he/she is a good fit for the program, and a page with instructions for references. Once I have this done, I plan to present it to the rest of our staff for feedback prior to putting it on our website. We have also begun to openly announce the starting of the residency program to PT students in the area and when we come in contact with others in the profession.

It is nice to have some things down on paper and I feel that the residency development in now well under way. I will continue to hash out Section 1 of the credentialing application while adjusting the goals as I see fit. I will also work on the preface that will serve as the introduction to the credentialing application.

Jen Flug PT, DPT, OCS

Premier Physical Therapy and Sports Performance

www.premierptsp.com