TherapySouth is proud to partner with UAB to develop the first and only accredited orthopedic physical therapy residency program in Alabama. This is possible thanks to years of growth in our relationship with UAB professors, staff, alumni and students.
Our practice is committed to lifelong learning – providing opportunities for our therapists to enhance skills and deepen their knowledge. This residency program “is designed to help licensed physical therapists pursue clinical excellence, advance their knowledge, educate other providers, engage in research, and become leaders in the field of orthopedic physical therapy.” To read more about details and specifications of the residency program, click here.
Opportunities for growth
With current staff, we promote specialization and encourage continued education. Our clinicians have access to resources for earning additional certifications and many of our therapists are Board Certified Specialists in Orthopedic Physical Therapy. In addition, we hold quarterly inservices across the practice to educate and train on a variety of specialty topics.
Vice President of Practice for TherapySouth, Nathan Click, PT, MSPT, adds, “Our goal is to be the best and produce the best physical therapists in our region.”
We have a passion for seeking out students to share our knowledge and experience, as well as invest in their futures. TherapySouth works with multiple universities to offer opportunities for students to work at our clinic locations and gain hands-on experience. This often leads to recruitment of students to work full time for TherapySouth after they have graduated.
Majority of our clinics are clinical education sites where staff therapists are also seasoned Clinical Instructors (CIs) who are dedicated to give back to the profession through teaching and mentoring.
Success in the first year
Our first graduate of the residency program, Sara Samchok, DPT, recently presented at the APTA Combined Sections Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. Recalling the most valuable parts of her residency experience, Sara says, “Mentoring from expert TherapySouth clinicians, assistant teaching in the UAB PT School Labs, and participating in research at UAB all further developed my manual, exercise prescription, and clinical reasoning skills as a physical therapist. I’m grateful for this opportunity and look forward to the Residency Program’s continued growth over the years to come. Thank you to the PTs, PTAs, patients, techs, students, and UAB staff I had the opportunity to work with this past year.”
The Director of Residency Education for UAB, John Lowman, PT, PhD, CCS reflected on the first year of the program and Sara’s role in shaping its success.
“UAB is excited to partner with TherapySouth in this endeavor and to help the program continue to grow in quantity and quality. We truly believe that this is a value-added, win-win-win (UAB-TherapySouth-resident) collaboration.
We are all especially grateful to Sara for being an early adopter and becoming our inaugural resident! Her willingness to learn and grow and give us feedback has and will continue to make this program even stronger. She has already demonstrated the fruits of this program through her patient care, teaching, scholarly presentations, and service.”
One of Sara’s residency rotations was at the TherapySouth Lakeview clinic in downtown Birmingham.
Clinic Director and TherapySouth partner, Catherine McIntosh, says, “I’m excited and honored to be given the opportunity to partner with UAB and advocate for physical therapists to continue to advance their knowledge and skills to further our professions and provide the best care for our patients. I couldn’t have asked for a better resident. Sara pushed me to dig deeper and has inspired me to keep learning. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with her!”
We are proud of the success this program has seen so far and look forward to the many ways it will positively impact the physical therapy industry in our state and beyond.
