Transcurricular units

Unit title

Unit I: Examination – Patient Communications/Medical Screening

Unit II: Examination – Screening

Clinical Reasoning

Radiology

Evidence-Based Practice

Extremity Mobilization Review

Spine-focused units

Unit title

Lower Spine/Pelvis McKenzie Module

Upper Spine

TMJ

Lower extremity-focused units

Unit title

Knee

Hip

Ankle and Foot

Biomechanics, Gait

Osteoarthritis Considerations of the Lower Extremity

Upper extremity-focused units

Unit Title

Shoulder

Elbow/Forearm

Wrist/Hand

Special populations units

(Information reflects data through Dec. 31, 2024)

The UW Hospitals and Clinics and UnityPoint Health – Meriter Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency matriculate orthopedic physical therapists who have contributed to the profession through clinical excellence, education, critical inquiry and leadership.

Program in numbers

• Graduation rate: 100%
• Program graduates: 88
• First-time OCS pass rate: 95%

Qualified candidates for the Orthopedic Physical Therapist Residency Program should submit a formal application through the Residency and Fellowship Physical Therapy Computerized Application Service (RFPT-CAS).  Experiences that should be highlighted in the application include:

• Current and future clinicals (students)
• Other job experiences
• Volunteer activities
• Research activities
• Continuing education

Application availability

This online application will be available in October.

Application timeline

• We consider applications on a rolling basis until our cohort is filled. Upon submission, we review applications and set up interviews within a month.  If offered a position, we ask candidates to accept within 72 hours.
• Our program starts in late June/early July

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for the Orthopedic Physical Therapist Residency Program you must:

• Be a graduate of a CAPTE-accredited physical therapy program
• Be eligible for licensure as a physical therapist in the State of Wisconsin
• Obtain an NPI number prior to starting the residency program

New graduates with a demonstrated interest in orthopedic physical therapy are encouraged to apply.

To obtain information on licensing, contact the Wisconsin Department of Licensing.

The UW Hospitals and Clinics and UnityPoint Health – Meriter Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency offers the following stipend and benefits:

• The Orthopedic Physical Therapist Resident will receive an annual stipend, paid on a bi-weekly basis.
• Comprehensive health insurance coverage, including basic dental and vision.
• Employee reimbursement account: Pre-tax deductions made for reimbursement of approved medical and dependent care expenses.
• Additional benefits include life insurance, tax sheltered annuity and deferred compensation.
• Paid leave time to include eight personal days, nine holidays and five professional days
• Full access to the University of Wisconsin recreation, education and cultural facilities.
• General professional liability coverage that the hospital purchases for all hospital employees.

Salary, benefits and fees for residents who are not employees of the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics are negotiated with the owners of the private practices that make up the residency’s “Affiliated Clinics.” All Affiliated Clinics offer general malpractice/liability coverage to their employees.

ABPTRFE Residency and Fellowship Financial Fact Sheet (pdf)

Fees

There are no program fees.

For more information, please contact UW Health Recruitment at careers@uwhealth.org or (608) 263-6500.

UW Hospitals and Clinics and UnityPoint Health – Meriter are dedicated to providing excellence in patient care, teaching, research and community service. In accordance with that mission, the physical therapy departments have collaborated to create a post-professional clinical residency program in orthopedic physical therapy.

The mission of the UW Hospitals and Clinics and UnityPoint Health – Meriter Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency Program is to provide post-professional training that will facilitate and accelerate the attainment of advanced clinical abilities in orthopaedic physical therapy. The program emphasizes a learning approach that is patient-centered and evidence-based.

The resident will be prepared to function as an interdependent practitioner in a collaborative medical model through patient care experience, mentoring, didactic instruction, laboratory exploration and independent study. The resident will engage in critical analysis of scientific literature and application to physical therapy practice. The resident will participate in classroom education of professional physical therapy students.

Program leadership

Program Director: Carrie Schwoerer, PT, OCS, cschwoerer@uwhealth.org

Director of Curricular Integration and Oversight: Joe Tupta, PT, OCS, jtupta@uwhealth.org

Program Coordinator: Liz Wahl, PT, OCS, ewahl@uwhealth.org

Director of Mentoring: Kristi Hallisy, PT, OCS, hallisy@pt.wisc.edu

The Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency at UW Hospitals and Clinics and UnityPoint Health – Meriter is a full-time, one-year program that begins in July and continues through June of the following year. The program accepts three residents per year at UW Hospitals and Clinics/Meriter, and as many as three additional residents at private physical therapy clinics in Wisconsin. The clinics include:

• Advanced PT and Sports Medicine in Appleton, Wis.
• Health in Motion in Rhinelander, Wis.

About UW Health (pdf)

About the Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency

Residents provide patient care 28 hours per week, including four hours per week co-treating with a faculty mentor. Twelve hours per week are dedicated to receiving didactic instruction, serving as a teaching assistant for musculoskeletal lab courses in the PT professional program, and observing in specialty clinics.

Residents are compensated for the hours spent providing patient care. In addition, residents receive a benefit package that includes health insurance. 

Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency Curriculum

The curriculum is based on the Orthopedic Physical Therapy Description of Specialty Practice and The Guide to Physical Therapist Practice. Residents will benefit from the wealth of clinical resources available at UW Hospitals and Clinics and UnityPoint Health – Meriter, and will have the opportunity to work closely with an excellent staff of medical practitioners, participate in teaching clinics and observe surgery.

Outstanding library facilities on the University of Wisconsin campus allow for independent study. The program is accredited by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education and was one of the first orthopedic residencies in the nation to achieve this status.

Contact information

Carrie A. Schwoerer, PT, OCS
Program Director
(608) 265-8364
cschwoerer@uwhealth.org

Recruitment Center
UW Health Human Resources
(608) 263-6500
Contact Human Resources