Sports Physical Therapy Residency

The Sports Physical Therapy Residency Program, sponsored by Gundersen Medical Foundation, has existed since 1996 and has successfully prepared our graduates to become specialists in the physical therapy management of sports-related injuries. We have the distinction of being the second sports physical therapy residency program in the country to be initially credentialed through the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and continue to be accredited and held to the high standards of the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE).

Over the 25 years of our program's existence we have graduated 38 residents in Sports Physical Therapy. The program has a 100% pass rate for graduates who have sat for and completed their board certification as Sports Physical Therapy Specialists (SCS). Upon completion of the residency our graduates have been employed in an array of professional positions including clinical and academic settings.  

Located in La Crosse, WI, the program is affiliated with Gundersen Health System—a regionally based, multi-specialty health system across Western Wisconsin, Northeast Iowa and Southeast Minnesota..

The Sports Physical Therapy Residency is structured to provide the resident with a wide range of experiences to develop advanced clinical skills in sports physical therapy. The resident will be expected to work 40 to 50 hours per week. Experiences include:

Patient Care (50%) - The resident evaluates and treats a limited load of patients with a variety of musculoskeletal pathologies that are commonly found in the sports physical therapy setting. This includes management of patients with pathology of the knee, shoulder, foot, ankle and spine. Biomechanical analysis of the following is also common: gait, throwing, golf and cycling. Time is provided for one-to-one clinical instruction between the resident and mentor. Clinical practice under the supervision of the mentor allows the resident to develop psychomotor skills and clinical reasoning processes necessary to effectively evaluate and treat individuals with sports-related injuries.

Teaching (15%) - The resident functions as academic staff/lab assistant in the musculoskeletal curriculum in the UW-La Crosse Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. The resident attends all class sessions and assists in lab instruction for evaluation procedures to the upper/lower extremities and sports specific topics. The resident and course instructor, Paul Reuteman, DPT, OCS, ATC, also select three lectures that the resident is required to present to the students.

On-Field Management of Athletic Injuries (5-8%) -The resident assists in covering athletic events under the guidance of a certified sports physical therapist or certified athletic trainer. This allows the resident to develop skills to prevent, recognize, evaluate and treat acute sports injuries.

Observation of Physician Office Hours and Surgery (2-5%) - The resident observes physicians during office hours to gain an appreciation for diagnosis and medical management of common sports-related injuries. The resident can observe surgery to gain an understanding of current surgical techniques to manage sports-related injuries.

Research (10-15%) - The resident is required to design, conduct and complete a clinical research project related to sports physical therapy and present it to Gundersen Sports Medicine. Additionally, the resident is required to summarize the results in a format suitable for presentation and publication.

Educational Activities (10-15%) - The resident participates in numerous educational activities to develop an evidence-based rationale that is required for prevention, evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries in an active athletic population. An advanced curriculum, Clinical Rounds, is presented through a series of didactic and laboratory sessions that cover the expanse of knowledge outlined in the DRP. Other activities include participation in in-services, journal clubs and conferences. Instructors also present didactic lectures to provide the resident with knowledge and understanding of the basic sciences that are related to management of athletic injuries and improvement in human performance. Additionally, the resident may be required to provide in-services for staff at the host institution. The residency program has also established clinical affiliations with the University of South Dakota departments of Physical Therapy and Athletics to provide additional clinical experiences.

To ensure the safety of our patients and employees as a condition of employment, clinical privileges or program participation, Gundersen Health System (GHS) requires all staff to be fully vaccinated as defined by Employee Health Services for COVID-19 regardless of work location. In addition, all non-employee personnel, volunteers, residents, fellows, trainees, clinical and non-clinical contracted staff, students, researchers, temporary workers, contractors, and vendors, at any worksite or remote location, regardless of clinical responsibility or patient contact, are required to comply.

A centralized application system (RF-PTCAS) is required for those interested in applying to our program. We also request that you complete our brief application form on the next tab to alert us of your interest.

Applicant eligibility requirements

• Graduation from an accredited Physical Therapy program
• Possession or application for Wisconsin State Physical Therapy license (candidates from entry-level physical therapy programs may apply for a temporary licensure to allow you to practice under the supervision of a licensed PT while you await the passing of the board examination)
• Completion of a Medical Emergency Response course sponsored by the American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy prior to beginning the program (requirement may be waved with evidence of possession of other emergency response credentials: ATC, EMT, etc.)
• Applications will only be accepted through a centralized application system (RF-PTCAS) with a submission deadline of Dec. 1 of each respective year

Selection of applicants

A committee composed of the residency director, medical and administrative directors and residency faculty will determine overall selection. Applications submitted through RF-PTCAS will be reviewed by the selection committee to determine candidates eligible for formal interviews. Because of concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, Gundersen Medical Foundation has stipulated that all formal program interviews will take place virtually. As part of the interview process, candidates will meet with members of the program administration, faculty and current residents. The interview will include a 30-minute session devoted to a discussion of a specific patient case example to provide the faculty with some insight as to candidates’ thought processes and background knowledge in managing this simulated patient scenario. Candidates also will be required to provide a 20-minute presentation on a research topic that they may wish to explore during the completion of the program. The format for presentation may include but is not limited to:

1. Identification of topic area
2. Why you are interested in the topic
3. Brief literature review
4. How you would accomplish the project; possible methodology

Our admission decision date is March 1, and the proposed start date is late June of each respective year.

Questions:

We welcome any inquiries or questions you may have about our program. Please feel free to contact the program director, Ryan Swetkovich, MPT, OCS, SCS, CSCS at rpswetko@gundersenhealth.org.