The physical therapy (PT) program at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) recently added a PT pediatric residency to its roster. The one-year residency, which is open to one student annually, was created in partnership with Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins).
“Johns Hopkins has a wonderful pediatrics department,” said Erin Wentzell, DPT, assistant clinical professor of physical therapy and health care sciences at SMHS and academic director of the PT pediatric residency program. “[Pediatrics] is definitely an area of specialization that is very much in demand.”
Residents will receive the full range of pediatric physical therapist management experience, from acute care to inpatient rehab and early intervention in the home, Wentzell said. In addition to their clinical responsibilities at Johns Hopkins, residents will also participate in a teaching component at GW.
“[That component] sets us apart from other residences around the country,” Wentzell said. “We feel that we have a very strong teaching faculty here, and we think that [those] within our profession should be able to teach, whether it’s teaching in academia or even just teaching their patients and presenting at conferences.”
The PT department has a longstanding history of collaboration with Johns Hopkins; the two institutions have collaborated on an entry-level clinical program, and they have established an orthopedic residency program. The GW PT department also has a neurologic residency with MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital.
The first resident in the pediatrics residency started in September, and the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education has accepted the program for candidacy.
