Why a Fellowship?
Fellowship training programs are designed for clinicians furthering their study in a subspecialty area of practice. We welcome fellows-in-training into a community of learning to strengthen their technical expertise, as well as grow into a leader in the profession.
Our Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowships are evidence-driven, helping to reduce unwarranted practice variation and rely on a culture of outcomes assessment and professional dedication to improving clinical excellence. Our graduates are highly respected for their clinical expertise, efficiency in practice, and ability to model advanced clinical practice and leadership for developing clinicians.
Kaiser Permanente Northern California Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship
About
Kaiser Permanente Northern California Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship, previously named the Kaiser Hayward Fellowship, offers one of the top physical therapy manual therapy fellowships in the country. Our program was the first in the nation and is widely recognized as a leader in the field. Fellows-in-training learn efficient, advanced examination and management approaches through comprehensive online coursework, individualized one-on-one mentoring, and lab sessions.
This program is for PTs who want to:
- Diagnose and manage complex, multifactorial patients.
- Incorporate effective teaching and consulting skills into your practice.
- Attain the high-level clinical and leadership skills necessary to lead the profession into the future as clinical specialists, faculty and/or consultants in clinical and academic settings.
- Become a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists.
The hallmark of the Kaiser experience is the opportunity to be mentored one-on-one by some of the most talented and experienced fellowship faculty in the country. These clinicians work side-by-side with you throughout the program to apply a systematic approach to differential diagnosis, intervention, and management skills. Receive mentoring at Kaiser campuses throughout the San Francisco Bay Area or have one of our expert faculty mentor you at your current worksite.
Course Schedule
The program is 18 months in length (beginning in September each year), with nine to 12 hours of online learning each week, a full 40 hour work week with patient care (either as a Kaiser resident or continuing your current employment), over 40 in-person weekend lab sessions, a scholarly project and 130 hours of one-on-one mentoring. Graduates of our accredited program become a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists (FAAOMPT).
The program consists of two phases, for a total of 18 months. While Phase 1 and Phase 2 need not be taken consecutively, the maximum time allowed to complete the program is 36 months, including leaves of absence, breaks, and any retests or remediation.
PHASE 1:
- Six months long, running September through April
- Topics include foundations of clinical reasoning, applied evidence-based practice, management of the spine, knee, and shoulder, and grand rounds
- 44 one-on-one mentoring hours from January through April
- Continue on to Phase 2 in May
| APR | MAY | JUNE | JULY | AUG | SEPT | OCT | NOV | DEC | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | |||||||||||
| Admissions | Intro to Advanced Manual Therapy Practice |
Lumbar Spine | Hip/Pelvis | Cervical/ Upper Cervical |
Integrative Upper Quarter |
Advanced Shoulder |
Knee | Phase 1 Exams |
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| PT Grand Rounds | PT Grand Rounds | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 44 hours of 1:1 Mentoring | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scholarly Project | |||||||||||||||||||||||
PHASE 2:
- Twelve months long, running May to May
- Topics include streamlining patient management, neurodynamic assessment and treatment, advanced pain science, advanced management of the remaining body regions, advanced communications, teaching labs, facilitating Grand Rounds, and a scholarly project
- 110 one-on-one mentoring hours from November through May
| MAY | JUNE | JULY | AUG | SEPT | OCT | NOV | DEC | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | |||||||||||||
| Hand/Wrist/ Elbow |
Foot/Ankle | Soft- Tissue |
Pain Sciences |
Integrative Anatomy |
Applied Clinical Reasoning |
Research Stats/ Advanced Ex |
Qualitative/ Integrative I |
MDT/Advanced Neurodynamics |
Applied Clinical Reasoning |
Upper Cervical/ TMJ Advanced |
Primary Care Principles |
OMPT Special Topics |
Fellowship Final Testing |
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| PT Grand Rounds | PT Grand Rounds | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 110 hours of 1:1 Mentoring | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scholarly Project | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Course Content
Our program is grounded in clinical reasoning, primarily derived from an Australian/Maitland approach, combined with a variety of evidence-driven theories and techniques to provide a robust, eclectic training experience for individuals seeking excellence in manual therapy. The curriculum is based on the AAOMPT Description of Advanced Specialty Practice document. Click to view the Fellowship Curricular Sequence.
In addition to advanced clinical reasoning and developing outstanding manual therapy psychomotor skills, we also believe that individuals undergoing fellowship training should be poised to become contributing leaders to the profession. Fellows-in-training have the opportunity to teach, are introduced to different leadership roles, and learn how to be reflective practitioners.
Prerequisites
- Licensed, or eligible to be licensed, in California
- Successful completion of an orthopaedic physical therapy residency is recommended, but not required
- Minimum of two years of physical therapy practice, preferably in an outpatient orthopedic physical therapy setting
- Demonstrate competency in musculoskeletal practice
Tuition, Benefits, and Stipend
- Tuition: $6,200
- Individuals working at Kaiser Permanente training sites will receive a stipend and benefits. Fellows earn $38 per hour employed by our department in a part-time capacity. You don’t need to be employed by us to participate. In this instance, your salary would not fall under our purview. Many of our learners find creative ways working both inside Kaiser Permanente and in the community to make a living while completing our program. Existing employees of Kaiser Permanente can leverage continuing education benefits.
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Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship
Kaiser Permanente Northern California offers a unique, full-time physical therapy fellowship program in orthopaedic manual therapy and musculoskeletal primary care. The program is located at the Vallejo Medical Center, home to the internationally renowned training program in proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. The curriculum and clinical training experiences are designed to integrate advanced physical therapy practice skills with an in depth knowledge of musculoskeletal disorders, non-musculoskeletal disorders, and medical screening strategies. These advanced clinical skills enable program graduates to competently and confidently care for patients with musculoskeletal problems in diverse practice settings, including outpatient orthopaedics, primary care, military medicine and other direct access practice venues.