The curriculum will be based on the most recent Description of Resident Practice: Orthopaedics from the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education.

The 12 – month program has a floating start date based on program openings and applicant availability. The program will consist of three four-month rotations. One resident will be selected per year, and the resident will rotate through the following areas in outpatient orthopedics:

Orthopedic Rehabilitation Center – The resident will develop advanced knowledge, skills and clinical expertise in outpatient orthopedic physical therapy (pre- and post-operative care). The resident will work collaboratively with the multi-disciplinary team to help restore hope and freedom to people with diverse orthopedic conditions. Members of the multi-disciplinary team include physicians and physician assistants from River Valley Orthopedics and occupational therapists whose specialties range from work conditioning to hand therapy. The team also includes physical therapists with Orthopaedic Specialist Certification (OSC) and McKenzie MDT credentials.

Pain Rehabilitation – This multidisciplinary program takes a rehabilitation approach to treating patients with chronic pain and headaches. Under the guidance of a clinical mentor, the resident will gain experience and develop skills that empower patients to reduce their pain and manage their symptoms, allowing them to return to functional and enjoyable lives. The Pain Rehabilitation team includes physical therapists, occupational therapists, physicians and physician assistants, and psychologists who specialize in treating chronic pain issues.

The Spine Center – The resident will develop advanced knowledge, skills and clinical expertise utilizing the McKenzie-based approach to patient care. Emphasis on empowering the patient to be an active participant in managing their condition is an integral part of the McKenzie approach. As part of the team, the resident will focus on restoring patients’ spinal health through rehabilitation, not surgery or medication. The resident will enhance his or her clinical expertise by working with patients with outpatient orthopedic spinal conditions, both pre- and post-operatively. The resident will enhance his or her clinical reasoning as part of a multidisciplinary team of physicians, occupational therapists, pain psychologists and work conditioning.
The resident will treat patients clinically 25-plus hours a week and spend the remaining hours in didactic learning.

The curriculum is based on the most recent Description of Residency Practice: Orthopaedics from the American Physical Therapy Association. Didactic information will be presented to the resident in a variety of formats — self-guided modules, directed readings, hands-on practice, discussion with mentors and more — to impart specialty-specific knowledge.

Weekly dedicated didactic learning hours are provided to the resident to enhance clinical reasoning and specialty skills. The didactic learning component of the residency program is a series of learning modules through the Orthopaedic Section of the APTA addressing current concepts in orthopedic physical therapy. The resident will be tested on various learning modules throughout the year-long residency program.

The resident will conduct a research project and/or create a case report based upon a patient condition encountered during residency, which will further development in scientific writing and evidenced-based practice. The case study and/or research project will be prepared to submit for publication by the end of the year-long residency.

The resident will be an adjunct faculty and assist in both the musculoskeletal and spine labs at Grand Valley State University. Additional professional development activities may include the following observational activities: Motion Analysis Center, work conditioning, hand therapy, fluoroscopically guided spinal injections, orthopedic and spinal surgeries.

Additionally, the resident will spend time overseeing GVSU DPT students in their pro-bono clinic, serving a portion of the uninsured and underinsured Grand Rapids population.

Christy Olgine PT, DPT, OCS
Program coordinator 
•Board-Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist
•Certificate in Dance Rehabilitation Training from Westside Dance Physical Therapy
•Attended McKenzie Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy Courses A-D
•DPT, Grand Valley State University

Christopher Bajema, PT, OCS, CSCS
Musculoskeletal Team Manager 
• Certified orthopedic clinical specialist
• Certified strength and conditioning specialist

Carrie Malin, PT, DPT, OCS, Cert. MDT
Physical Therapy Team Lead, Spine Center
• Certified orthopedic clinical specialist
• Certified in McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Treatment
• DPT, Grand Valley State University; BS Biopsychology, University of Michigan

Teresa Miller, MS PT, Cert. MDT, OCS, TPS
Mentor
• Eighteen years of clinical experience, including 15 years in Mary Free Bed’s Pain Rehabilitation program
• Supervises Grand Valley State University DPT students in research
• Certified in McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Treatment
• Certified orthopedic clinical specialist, therapeutic pain specialist
• MS PT, Grand Valley State University

Kara Seyffert, PT, DPT, Cert. MDT
Mentor
• Certified in McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Treatment
• DPT, Central Michigan University

Erin Spruit, DPT
Mentor, Mary Free Bed Pain Center
• BS Exercise Science, Grand Valley State University
• Previously Mary Free Bed’s first resident

Ann Venema, PT, DPT, Cert. MDT
Mentor
• Credentialed in McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis and Treatment
• DPT, Grand Valley State University

The resident will have full-time status as a Mary Free Bed employee, which includes full-time benefits. The resident also will be appointed part-time faculty at Grand Valley State University, which includes access to university resources.

Fees: $400 for curriculum.

Eligibility
The applicant must be a physical therapist or in his or her final year of an accredited physical therapy program. Applicants must have obtained State of Michigan licensure prior to beginning the residency.

Want to apply?
Application window open now! Please submit your application through the RF-PTCAS system. Click here to begin the process.

Our admissions committee will be reviewing applications four times per year (Aug 1, Nov 1, Feb 1 and May 1) with a floating start date based on program openings and applicant availability.

If you have further questions, email recruitment@maryfreebed.com.

For program-specific questions, email PTorthoresidency@maryfreebed.com.

Download the Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Orthopedic Residency Program Financial Fact Sheet.

Programmatic Goals
Goal 1: Graduate residents who will serve the residents of West Michigan and beyond by delivering the latest evidenced-based care in outpatient orthopedic physical therapy that integrates advanced patient-centered clinical practice and an interdisciplinary team-based collaborative practice.

Goal 2: Develop and deliver a curriculum for post-professional learning with strong focus on evidence-based orthopedic physical therapy practice designed around the latest Description of Residency Practice in Orthopaedics.

Goal 3: Provide residents with a high-quality, consistent experience at all Mary Free Bed clinic locations through direct patient care and specialty observations addressing primary health conditions listed in the Description of Residency Practice – Orthopaedic.

Goal 4: Prepare residents to successfully obtain their Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist Certification.

Goal 5: Obtain and maintain orthopedic residency accreditation status through the ABPTRFE.

Goal 6: Graduate PT residents who will contribute to the betterment of the physical therapy profession through leadership, teaching and scholarship.

These goals are assessed using 15 key indicators.

Program Outcomes
• Resident will demonstrate advanced knowledge, clinical-reasoning skills and evidence-based practice in effectively treating a variety of patient populations across orthopedic settings. Consistently utilize patient-centered focus in an interdisciplinary collaborative approach to deliver care designed around the latest Description of Residency: Orthopaedics.
• Resident will exhibit high standards of ethical clinical practice and professional behaviors with patients, families and colleagues.
• Resident will be prepared to sit for and successfully pass the ABPTS examination for board certification in orthopedic physical therapy.
• Resident will be proficient in appropriate skills as an educator to effectively engage and instruct patients, caregivers, students and colleagues in orthopedic topics.
• Resident will demonstrate advanced skills in acquisition, dissemination and integration of clinical research into practice. Develop skills in scientific inquiry to contribute to the advancement of orthopedic physical therapy.
• Resident will contribute to the betterment of the orthopedic physical therapy profession through active involvement at the local, state and/or global level.

These outcomes are assessed using 35 key indicators.

Each year, the resident is required to present his or her findings of a scientific inquiry project at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital’s Interdisciplinary Grand Rounds. The residents also are required to submit their project at a national level, as either a poster or platform presentation. Listed below are citations for the residents’ works.

Rutherford, A. and Miller, T. Sensitivity of Physical Outcome Measures to Change and Mediating Effects of Psychological Variables in Individuals with Chronic Pain. Submitted for publication PT Journal, Fear of Movement Special Edition

Schrader, T. Survival Analysis of Opioid Abstinence in Patients Who Completed a Multidisciplinary Pain Program. Poster presentation at the Midwest Pain Society meeting Oct. 4-5, 2019

Schrader, T. Survival Analysis of Opioid Abstinence in Patients Who Completed a Multidisciplinary Pain Program. Accepted for Poster presentation at the APTA Combined Sections Meeting Feb. 12-15, 2020

Spruit, E and Miller, T. Assessment of Healthcare Professional and Physical Therapist Knowledge of Pain Science and Neurophysiology: The Revised Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire in a Rehabilitation Hospital Network. Poster presentations MPTA Annual Meeting Oct. 2018, APTA Combined Sections Meeting, Jan. 23-26, 2019.

Spruit, E and Miller, T. Assessment of Healthcare Professional and Physical Therapist Knowledge of Pain Science and Neurophysiology: The Revised Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire in a Rehabilitation Hospital Network. Research poster presented at Michigan Physical Therapy Association Annual Fall Conference, Oct. 5-6, 2018.

Spruit, E and Miller, T. Assessment of Healthcare Professional and Physical Therapist Knowledge of Pain Science and Neurophysiology: The Revised Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire in a Rehabilitation Hospital Network. Research poster displayed at the Midwest Pain Society Meeting Nov. 9, 2018.