Program Overview
The Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Belmont University is a 12-month post-professional program designed to enhance the clinician's professional skills both in outpatient orthopaedics.
Program Mission
The program will provide quality advanced education to orthopaedic physical therapists to develop specialists in Orthopaedics who will demonstrate evidence-based practice and decision making, serve as an educator, clinical researchers, professional role model, and an advocate for their patients and the profession. The program is dedicated to guiding growth, continuous improvement, and strategic initiatives.
Orthopaedic Residency Program includes:
- 30 hours per week in direct patient care in outpatient orthopaedics at Vanderbilt Rehabilitation Therapy
- 8 hours per week assisting teaching orthopaedics lab at Belmont University School of Physical Therapy
- 3 hours per week of one-on-one clinical mentoring
- 546 hours of continuing education
Program start date: September 1
Program length: 12 months
Employment status: full time, full salaried physical therapist
Tuition cost: $0
Requirements and Admission/Application Process:
- Starting 2026-2027 application cycle, completed application via RF-PTCAS
- Graduate of an accredited physical therapy program
- Physical therapy license in the state of Tennessee
- Our program will accept applications from new graduates who are scheduled to sit for the license exam and will be able to verify Tennessee license by September for the start of the program
- Applications accepted through October through December
- Interviews are scheduled from January through Spring
Program Graduation outcomes
- Orthopaedic PT Resident Program Graduation rate of 100 percent since the start of the program in 2024
- Orthopaedic Clinical Specialty Exam Pass Rate: N/A. Resident will take OCS exam in 2026.
- Residency graduate is currently employed in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy practice
- Residency graduate is actively engaged in leadership, community teaching, clinical teaching, and professional development
Contact Information:
Shantel Phillips, PT, DPT, OCS
Program Director, Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Residency
Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Belmont University
Vanderbilt Rehabilitation Therapy – One Hundred Oaks
719 Thompson Lane, Suite 31
Nashville, TN 37204