Residency Program in Sports Physical Therapy

The residency program in sports physical therapy is a cooperative effort between the University of Mississippi Medical Center, UMMC School of Health Related Professions, University Hospitals and Clinics, University of Mississippi (Oxford campus), Millsaps College, Jackson State University, and the New Orleans Saints professional football organization. The residency program is 14 months in duration, beginning in late June and ending in late August of the following year.

The resident is a full-time employee of UMMC and receives a competitive salary and a full benefits package. There is no tuition cost.

The residency is accredited by the American Physical Therapy Association, American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE), 1111 N. Fairfax, St., Alexandria, VA 22314-1488. Phone: (703)706-8186. Email: resfel@apta.org 

The program prepares the resident to take the Sports Clinical Specialty examination (SCS) offered by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS). Click here for more information concerning specialty examination.

Program outcomes

• Graduation rate of 12 of the last 13 residents
• 100% pass rate on the Sports Clinical Specialty examination (SCS)

Program experiences

The sports physical therapy resident's experiences include:

• Clinical experience:

  • Clinical practice in a large, fast-paced physical therapy outpatient orthopedic clinic;
  • Experience in a Division 1 college training room (Jackson State University), performing rehabilitation services and on-the-field coverage;
  • Coverage of high school athletics, both in the training room and on the field;
  • Collaborative practice in Friday night football injury clinics with physicians, athletic trainers, physical therapists and all other members of the sports medicine team;
  • Experience in a Division 3 college training room (Millsaps College), performing both rehabilitation services and on-the-field coverage;
  • Experience in a Division 1 college training room (University of Mississippi, Oxford campus), performing rehabilitation services, on-the-field coverage and including experiences with administrative responsibilities;
  • Experience in a professional football organization (New Orleans Saints) with clinical and on-the-field responsibilities.

• Participating in: 

  • Numerous learning experiences, including Orthopedic Conference, Sports Medicine Conference, Journal Club and individualized didactic classroom experiences;
  • Collaborative educational experiences with other residents and fellows on the Medical Center campus, including orthopedic surgery residents, family medicine residents and family medicine sports medicine fellows;
  • Laboratory teaching assistance responsibilities in an accredited entry-level physical therapist educational program, focusing on the areas of gross anatomy, kinesiology and peripheral joint orthopedics;
  • Physician interaction in clinical, on-the-field, and surgical situations;
  • Developing and implementing strength and conditioning programs for various high school teams