Orthopaedic Residency Program

The Division of Physical Therapy has been granted accreditation through ABPTFRE as an Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Residency Program, gaining accreditation in October 2021 and will be up for reaccreditation in 2026.

The Orthopaedic Residency Program accepts applications on RF-PTCAS for the next cohort between October and January.

Program Director: Adam Walsh

Email: adwalsh@salud.unm.edu

Phone: 505-272-6740

Contact Adam Walsh with any questions regarding the UNM Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Residency Program

Orthopaedic Residency Mission

The mission of the University of New Mexico Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Residency Program is to provide exceptional evidence-based post-professional training that will advance the resident’s knowledge, skills, and critical thinking in orthopaedic physical therapy to that of a clinical expert thereby optimizing the human experience of New Mexico communities.

Admissions Process

Requirements for application:

• Be a graduate of a CAPTE accredited physical therapist program by the residency start date
• Be licensed to practice physical therapy or be eligible for licensure in the state of New Mexico
• Be a member of the American Physical Therapy Association
• Submit an application through RF-PTCAS
• Submit additional information required through RF-PTCAS
• Submit two reference letters, one of which must be from a clinical instructor, physical therapist colleague or a professor in a physical therapy program

Accepted residents must:

• Be licensed to practice physical therapy in the state of New Mexico prior to the residency start date
• Provide proof of membership in the American Physical Therapy Association
• Provide proof of membership in the New Mexico American Physical Therapy Association
• Provide proof of membership in the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy
• Agree to the Residency Program duration from July 31 of the year accepted to July 31 of the following calendar year
• Agree to an annual total of 2450 hours of work including:
  • 1800+ patient care hours
  • 300+ educational hours
  • 200+ mentored hours
• Agree to an annual salary of $42,000 paid by the clinic
• Agree to a required $500 monthly tuition fee paid by the resident to their UNM Bursar account
• Agree that any fringe benefits are at the discretion of the clinic
• Maintain appropriate professional behaviors throughout the entirety of the curriculum
• Participate in all residency learning experiences including but not limited to: clinic work, mentored time, didactic work, journal clubs, psychomotor labs, physician observations, UNM DPT Skills labs, UNM REACH Learning Lab, quizzes, written and psychomotor examinations, written assignments, a community project, and a research requirement
• Complete at least 1 scholarly activity by the end of the residency curriculum, at the discretion of the Program Coordinator
• Pass all written and psychomotor examinations
• Attend the APTA Combined Sections Meeting during the residency curriculum
• Present at the NMAPTA Annual Meeting during the residency curriculum
• Be certified in dry needling by the end of the residency curriculum
• Complete all required activities to ensure successful learning and mentoring

Housing Options

UNM offers off-campus housing listings: https://och.unm.edu/index.html

Links to other off-campus housing options https://och.unm.edu/albuquerque-apartment-guides/index.html 

Proposed Resident Daily Schedule

Weekly Didactic Schedule

Graduation Rates & Pass Rates

These data are coming soon! The program is still relatively new, but we will share Residency Graduation Rate, Residency Graduate Pass Rate on ABPTS Specialization Exam, and Resident Employment Rate one month post-residency statistics as they are available.