Elon Sports Physical Therapy Residency
ABPTRFE status: Accredited program since November 2020
Jump to: curriculum,Ìýfaculty, facilities, admissions process, contact information
Mission Statement
The mission of the ¸£ÀûÑÇÖÞ¹ú²ú¾«Æ· Sports Physical Therapy residency is to provide physical therapists with advanced didactic instruction and skill development in evidence-based sport-specific clinical practice.
General Overview
The Elon Sports Physical Therapy Residency Program is a 12-month experience designed to assist the resident in developing clinical expertise in Sports Physical Therapy. The program is a collaborative effort between the Department of Physical Therapy Education (DPTE) and the Department of Athletics. The resident will receive one-on-one mentoring to enhance clinical skills, develop classroom teaching skills,Ìýcomplete 300 hours of didactic education,Ìýand develop a line of clinical inquiry. The experience will be closely aligned with ¸£ÀûÑÇÖÞ¹ú²ú¾«Æ· Athletics, and the resident will provide more than 1,500 hours of clinical services to this population.
Curriculum
The curriculum for the Elon Sports Physical Therapy (ESPT) residency program has four modules. Each module builds on the resident’s foundational knowledge, clinical decision-making & psychomotor skills, and professionalism in the Division I sports setting. The curriculum is closely aligned with Elon’s core Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program housed in the Department of Physical Therapy Education (DPTE) in the School of Health Sciences. This alignment allows the ESPT residency program to leverage the learning, teaching, and professional development opportunities available during the delivery of a DPT program. The curriculum is intentionally designed so that, upon completion of the residency, the resident is prepared to successfully sit for the ABPTS specialist certification exam in Sports and be able to function as a practicing physical therapist at the highest level in Division I sports environment.
Module I
The first module (Weeks 1–13) establishes a foundational baseline in administration, orientation, and the ethical/legal standards of a Division I sports environment. This initial phase prioritizes acute care, emergency response, and environmental athletic concerns, while concurrently focusing on the athlete’s nutrition, physiology, and cardiovascular/pulmonary health. The module concludes with a specialized focus on hip biomechanics and surgical interventions.
Module II
The second module (Weeks 14–26) focuses on the comprehensive management of regional orthopedic injuries, coinciding with the transition from the football season to winter and spring sports. The curriculum provides an in-depth review of the biomechanics and pathologies of the knee, ankle, and foot, as well as the entire upper extremity, including the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand. This module also covers the management of concussions and spinal pathologies involving the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions. During this time, the resident will also choose their own research topic and design an investigation that will be completed during their residency.
Module III
The third module (Weeks 27–38) will continue rigorous coverage and development of understanding of the Sports description of residency practice (DRP) umbrella topics. The Resident focuses on research design and the execution of their individual clinical inquiry project. Academically, this module provides a high-level review of sports performance enhancement and addresses complex medical conditions, such as fracture/dislocation management, abdominal and genitourinary injuries, pharmacology, and infectious agents. Significant focus is also placed on the unique needs of the female athlete. Module III will also provide the resident with a more in-depth opportunity to develop their teaching skills by assisting with the delivery of an advanced orthopedics course to DPT (3rd-year) students. In this role, the resident will present on their clinical specialty and provide one-on-one mentorship to DPT students.
Module IV
In the final phase, Module IV (Weeks 39–51), the Resident covers specialized topics, including pediatric sports injuries and sport-specific pathologies affecting athletes in tennis, golf, basketball, volleyball, and baseball. This culminating module focuses on mastering advanced return-to-sport (RTS) testing and requires the Resident to demonstrate leadership and mastery of the DRP topics and core competency domains.
Continuous Activities
Throughout the residency, there will be a few ongoing activities to assist in the resident’s development. For example, there is one to two weeks after each module to stop and reflect on outcomes, DRP learning domains, and health conditions to ensure the resident has a very thorough experience. Furthermore, starting in Module I, the resident will lead a weekly journal club for all university members (faculty, staff, and students) that reflects the resident’s understanding of the topics covered in that module and fosters the development of strong evidence-based practices.
Total Hours of the Elon Sports residency program: 2,234
- Education hours: 384
- Mentor time for clinical learning Director meetings
- Journal Club
- Lectures in Elon DPTE as TA/guest lecturer
- Independent study with an online platform
- Research project
- Skills lab
- Lectures from residency faculty and program guest lecturers, Shadowing physicians
- Patient care hours: 1500
- Elon Resident Clinic
- Elon Athletics
- Mentor hours: 150
- Sports Coverage: 200
Meet our Faculty
Facilities
(video by Brian Aimerich, Elon ’23).
Admissions Process
The ¸£ÀûÑÇÖÞ¹ú²ú¾«Æ· Sports Residency will be participating in the standardized Sports Physical Therapy Residency Program Match for the upcoming application cycle. This will process will fill our (insert number of open program slots) available Resident positions for our upcoming start date: 7/7/2025. All communication regarding this match process will come through the Match Program, EXXAT, if you receive an interview offer. Good luck, and we look forward to reviewing your application!
Applicants for the ¸£ÀûÑÇÖÞ¹ú²ú¾«Æ· Sports Residency are requested to submit an application on  including curriculum vitae or resume, 2 letters of reference (3rd optional), transcripts, and two short essays:
- Please describe your career objectives in 250 words or less; and
- In 500 words or less please describe why Elon should select you as our next sports resident (Please include specific examples)
Refer to the RF-PTCAS website for the most updated deadlines.
2024-2025 Residency Dates:
- Applications Open:Â Â Â 10/01/2025
- Applications Close:Â Â Â Â 12/1/2025
- Interview Date:Â Â Â Â Â Â 2/16/2026
- Residency Start Date:Â Â 7/13/2026
- Residency End Date:Â Â Â 6/26/2026
The Selection Committee consists of a minimum of 3 members of the Residency Steering Committee (the program director, ¸£ÀûÑÇÖÞ¹ú²ú¾«Æ·â€™s Head Athletic Trainer, and a program faculty member who is also a board-certified specialist in sports physical therapy). The Selection Committee will meet in person, and all of the applicants will be ranked. A maximum of 3 applicants will be interviewed for each available Resident position. All interviews will be completed by late January. The applications are initially evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Academic education and performance
- Clinical education and mentoring experiences (note – no academic credit is awarded or transferred from other programs)
- Clinical experience in sports physical therapy
- Letters of recommendation
- Community service related to sports physical therapy
Minimal eligibility requirements for acceptance into the program include:
- Unencumbered licensure, or the ability to obtain, as a Physical Therapist in North Carolina.
- APTA member in good standing
Desirable characteristics include athletic training experience, at least one year of clinical practice as a licensed physical therapist, clinical research experience, strong motivation to advance clinical knowledge, strong communication skills, evidence of initiative, evidence of service-based mentality, ability to effectively work in a team environment, and a high level of self-responsibility.
Completion and Pass Rate:
Number of Graduates 2020-2025 (% Graduation Rate): 4 (80%)
SCS examination pass rate (2020-2023): 100%
Contact Information
For more information, please email Elon Sports Physical Therapy Residency program director Gary Johnson (gjohnson27@elon.edu).
Financial Information:
Click the link to see the ABPTRFE Program Financial Fact Sheet for this program:Â