Mission & Goals
Mission Statement
The mission of the Touro University Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency Program (OPTR) was developed to be congruent with the mission of the University, the mission of the School of Health Sciences (SHS), the American Physical Therapy Association’s Orthopedic Physical Therapy Description of Specialty Practice 2015, and the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education guidelines 2023.
In keeping with the mission of Touro University and the Physical Therapy Department, the mission of the Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency program (OPTR) is to provide an opportunity for practicing Physical Therapists to continue professional development and career growth. Furthermore, the mission is to encourage excellence in the specialty area of orthopedic physical therapy, maintaining the high standard of reflective and ethical practice.
Program Goals
Goal 1: Provide an opportunity to study with recognized experts in Orthopedic Physical Therapy and develop competencies in this specialty.
Goal 2: To provide an organized academic program focused on expanding the depth and breadth of knowledge and skill in Orthopedic Physical Therapy.
Goal 3: To provide a supportive learning environment in the form of guided practice through a comprehensive mentoring program including clinical residency hours.
Goal 4: To foster clinical mentors who are skilled in educating adult learners and who demonstrate consistent mentoring in keeping with the philosophy of the program.
Goal 5: To maintain consistent mentoring practice across all resident sites to facilitate excellence in the clinical component of the residency.”
Goal 6: To provide consistency of program delivery among the various clinical Residency sites through a rigorous selection process by selecting and educating OCS mentors in line with ABPTRFE standard of excellence in mentoring.
Goal 7: To prepare Physical Therapists for the challenges of a changing health care system by making them more efficient and effective clinicians.
Goal 8: To prepare the Physical Therapist to sit and pass the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties Exam in Orthopedic Certified Specialist.
Goal 9: To develop a practitioner who has advanced skills in the treatment of individuals with complex orthopedic problems, who practices patient-centered physical therapy with an evidence-based approach synthesizing self-reflection, scholarly evidence, and clinical judgment.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon program completion the resident will:
1: Demonstrate advanced skills in the assessment of orthopedic medical conditions, including evaluation, assessment, clinical diagnosis and prognosis through appropriate examination tools, outcome measures and clinical evidence.
2: Demonstrate advanced skill in treatment of orthopedic medical conditions, demonstrating advanced proficiency of manual skills and clinical reasoning utilizing current evidence.
3: Demonstrate advanced skills in the critical appraisal of research, analyzing and evaluating studies that examine significant clinical problems. This includes analysis of the efficacy of new and established intervention protocols to assess the relationship of research to clinical evidence-based practice.
4: Demonstrate growth in their professional service by contributing actively to the Physical Therapy profession via conferences, meetings, and community events.
5: Complete review course and integration of CPG (Clinical Practice Guidelines) in classes designed to prepare for a passing grade on the ABPTS exam for board certification in orthopedic physical therapy.
6: Integrate research evidence and clinical expertise into patient care.
7: Demonstrate technological skills to locate research evidence and perform statistical analysis.
