University of Miami – Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency Program

The mission of the UM – NCH Pediatric Residency Program is:

"To provide post professional training to licensed physical therapists to advance their knowledge, skills in patient/client management, and clinical reasoning to enable them to assume a greater role in the area of pediatric clinical practice: evidence-based practice, leadership, education, administration, consultation, and advocacy.”

This residency program is designed to prepare participants to become skilled primary care pediatric physical therapists by providing focused academic and clinical experiences. Residents will function as an integral member of an interdisciplinary team to assure integrated care for the patient, and will be able to provide primary care as a point of entry into the healthcare system for pediatric clients.

The goals of the residency program are to:

• Facilitate the resident’s ability to integrate foundational science, learning and developmental theory, and evidence-based clinical practice in pediatrics through structured academic and clinical experiences.
• Provide opportunities through direct patient care or specialty observation for the Residents to develop advanced skills as a direct service provider and/or consultant in a variety of practice settings with a variety of patient populations as required in the current Pediatric Description of Specialty Practice (DSP) Description of Residency Practice and (DRP).
• Provide opportunities to develop advanced skills as an educator utilizing appropriate educational strategies that are congruent with the setting (community-based, clinical and/or academic) and needs of the learner to effectively deliver content to increase knowledge and skills of caregivers, students, colleagues, and other interdisciplinary care providers.
  
  • Parent/care giver education
  • Peer education including in-services
  • Community education programs
  • Teaching students enrolled in a doctoral level physical therapy program
    
• Provide opportunities to develop skills in critical thinking and research to enable them to contribute to the pediatric physical therapy profession in the future.
• Provide a curriculum that addresses all areas of the current Pediatric DSP and DRP, to successfully complete the pediatric clinical specialist certification examination by the ABPTS.
• Provide academic and clinical training in advanced skills in pediatric physical therapy that meet or exceed ABPTRFE accreditation standards.
• Provide the surrounding community (South Florida) and beyond with residency trained physical therapists who excel in pediatric practice, clinical education, cultural competence, and utilize a biopsychosocial approach.
• Prepare residents to contribute to the profession of physical therapy, and the larger healthcare community, through leadership, evidence-based practice, teaching, service, and advocacy.

Credentialing: The UM-NCH Pediatric Residency Program received initial accreditation in 2013 as the first Pediatric Physical Therapy Program in Florida and received reaccreditation in 2018. The program starts in early August and runs for 54 consecutive weeks. Resident’s pay no tuition fee while enrolled in the Program.

Salary: Residents will be employed full time by Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and receive an adjusted salary. Residents do not carry a full-time case load in order to allow time for didactic coursework, research, presentations and projects.) *Benefits: *Residents are eligible for benefits through Nicklaus Children’s Hospital during their Residency “year”. This includes employer supported health and dental insurance, and paid time off (vacation, sick time, a personal day and six holidays).

Overview: The program is designed to provide a year-long intensive study of pediatric physical therapy, to prepare the resident to assume a greater role in the care of children and their families in the areas of: evidence-based practice, leadership, education, administration, consultation, and advocacy. In addition, the combined didactic curriculum and focused clinical mentoring will prepare the resident to sit for (and pass) the Pediatric Clinical Specialist Examination. 

Residents work a five (5) day, 40-hour work week with structured one-on-one mentoring approximately four hours per week. Typically, one day a week is set aside as a “residency day” during which residents spend time participating in didactic training, research, projects and presentations related to the overall curriculum of the residency program. Residents spend approximately six months in the acute care/hospital setting and approximately six months in an outpatient clinic setting. Additional clinical experiences at the University of Miami include: Early Intervention, school-based physical therapy, and specialty clinics (i.e., seating clinic, spasticity clinic, neuromotor clinic, and hemophilia clinic). Clinical mentors are on-site and work side by side daily with the residents.

Residents receive didactic training on numerous topics related to pediatric physical therapy which are expected knowledge areas published in the current DSP. The content is taught by expert faculty from the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Department of Physical Therapy, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and expert clinicians in the community. Learning modules are taught every week throughout the year. Residents are also expected to lead and participate in hospital rounds, case presentations and/or journal clubs, and teach in the entry level DPT program at the University of Miami. Pediatric residents participate with other residents currently enrolled in other University of Maim Physical Therapy Residency Programs (Geriatrics, Orthopedics, Sports, Neurologic, and Cardiovascular & Pulmonary) for select topics.

• Leadership and Professionalism
• Practice Models
• Interpreting and Using Research in Clinical Practice
• Movement System 
• Normal and Abnormal development
• Musculoskeletal Topics
• Neurological Topics
• Genetic disorders and other syndromes
• Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Topics
• Pulmonary Issues
• Integumentary Topics (wounds and burns)
• Hematology/Oncology Topics 
• Practice settings in Pediatric Physical Therapy
  • Acute Care/Inpatient Care
  • Outpatient Care
  • Neonatal Intensive Care/Neonatology
  • Early Intervention
  • School-Based Services
• Public law and its implications to Pediatric Physical Therapy
• Teaching and learning theory
• Feeding and Oral Motor considerations
• Speech, Language, and Communication considerations
• Adolescent/Sports medicine
• Health Promotion and Wellness Topics
• Balance and Vestibular Rehabilitation Topics
• Gait/Motion analysis
• Prosthetic/Orthotic Considerations
• Assistive Technology and Equipment
• Use of Complementary Medicine in Pediatrics

Core Academic Faculty

• James Moore, PT, PhD, Board Certified Pediatric Clinical Specialist (Program Director)
• Martha Bloyer, PT, DPT, Board Certified Pediatric Clinical Specialist (Program Coordinator – Education)
• Meryl Cohen, PT, DPT, Board Certified Cardiopulmonary Clinical Specialist
• Michele Raya, PT, PhD, ATC, Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialist

Core Clinical Faculty

• Cheryl Gimenez, PT, DPT, Board Certified Pediatric Clinical Specialist (Program Coordinator – West Kendall Campus)
• Melissa Ramos, DPT, Board Certified Pediatric Clinical Specialist (Program Coordinator – Main Campus)
• Tatiana Fernandez, DPT, Board Certified Pediatric Clinical Specialist
• Andrea Hayward, PT, DPT
• Julia Sanchez, PT, DPT
• Amanda Clifton, PT, DPT, Board Certified pediatric and Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Clinical Specialist
• Claudia Zuluagg-Yunis, PT