Therapy Residency and Fellowship Programs

UChicago Medicine Orthopedic Physical Therapy residency program is a post-graduate training program which aims to provide a professional development opportunity to prepare physical therapists to become specialists in orthopedic physical therapy through didactic education, participation in research, professionally mentored patient care experiences and independent patient care. The program emphasizes the development of advanced psychomotor skills, theoretical rationales, evidence based techniques, and complex clinical reasoning to enhance the resident’s ability to evaluate and treat orthopedic patient populations using current research evidence and clinical expertise. The program will prepare the participants to take the OCS examination administered by the ABPTRFE. The program graduates will be an ongoing resource for the UChicago Medicine, the physical therapy and medical community by promoting rehabilitation, health, and wellness for the persons they serve.

The resident will be mentored by physical therapists who are all Board-Certified in Orthopedic Physical Therapy (OCS) through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.

There are 9 full time core faculty members who are all Board-Certified in Orthopedic Physical Therapy (OCS). Seven of the nine faculty members are also Fellows of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists (FAAOMPT).

The program includes focused in-person didactics, multiple hours of 1:1 mentoring a week, participation in departmental performance improvement or research projects, critical appraisal of the literature and case study presentations, and opportunities for specialty observation within the UCM health system. The courses include 9 orthopedic physical therapy core courses on each of the 9 major joint regions of the human body. There are also specialty courses on Clinical Reasoning, Research, Radiology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology, Nutrition, Pain Science, Pharmacology and Psychology of Pain.

UCM serves a socially, economically, and racially diverse patient population on the south side of Chicago and emphasizes culturally competent care.

Jennifer Gilbertson, PT, DPT, MHS
Board-certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist, APTA
Program Director
Director, Outpatient Therapy Services, UCM and Ingalls

UChicago Medicine
5841 S. Maryland Ave. | MC1081 | Chicago, IL 60637
Email: jennifer.gilbertson@uchicagomedicine.org
Phone: 773-702-4221
Fax: 773-702-5340

The University of Chicago Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency Program received its initial accreditation in 2001 and has graduated 13 graduates who all now have their PCS. The program is an intensive, year-long educational opportunity structured to facilitate the clinical development of physical therapists in the management of pediatric patients a variety of settings. The residents will be mentored by experienced physiscall therapists, who are all board certified in pediatric physical therapy and have extensive experience. We use a multi-modal teaching approach throughout the year which includes clinical practice, didactic content, structured mentoring, and various evidence based experiences to develop clinical growth. We serve a socially, economically, and racially diverse patient population on the south side of Chicago and emphasize culturally competent care.

Catherine Kennedy, PT, DPT, MS
Board Certified Pediatric Clinical Specialist 
Program Director of Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency Program

UChicago Medicine
5841 S. Maryland Ave. | Rm. W107, MC1081 | Chicago, IL 60637
Email: catherine.kennedy@uchicagomedicine.org 
Phone: 773-702-6891
Fax: 773-702-5340

The University of Chicago Acute Care Physical Therapy Residency is a comprehensive program structured to facilitate the clinical development of physical therapists in the management of the medically complex hospitalized patient. The resident is mentored by physical therapists who are board certified in cardiovascular and pulmonary, geriatrics, oncology, or burns (BT-C). The 9 core faculty members have a combined 84 years of experience. The residency includes focused in-person didactics, multiple hours of 1:1 mentoring a week, participation in departmental performance improvement or research projects, critical appraisal of the literature and case study presentations, and opportunities for both clinical and classroom teaching. The resident is immersed in inter-professional care. The modules include general medicine, neurology/neurosurgery, trauma, general surgery, wound and burns, cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, orthopedics, and oncology, with correlating ICU exposure. We serve a socially, economically, and racially diverse patient population on the south side of Chicago and emphasize culturally competent care. The residency will prepare the graduate to apply for early opportunities for career ladder advancement as well for an eventual ABPTS recognized clinical specialty exam.

Lauren Miller, PT DPT
Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Oncologic Physical Therapy
Program Coordinator for Inpatient Physical Therapy Professional Development
Program Director of the Acute Care Physical Therapy Residency Program

UChicago Medicine
5841 S. Maryland Ave. | Rm. W107, MC1081 | Chicago, IL 60637
Email: lauren.miller@uchicagomedicine.org 
Phone: 773-795-7291
Fax: 773-702-5340

The University of Chicago Acute Care Occupational Therapy Fellowship Program is the first acute care program in the country which began in 2012. The program is an intensive, year-long educational opportunity structured to facilitate the clinical development of occupational therapists in the management of acute and critical care patients in the hospital setting. The fellows will be mentored by experienced occupational therapists, many who are board certified in physical rehabilitation and have extensive experience in acute/critical care. We use a multi-modal teaching approach throughout the year which includes clinical practice, didactic content, structured mentoring, and various evidence based experiences to develop clinical growth. The year is broken into a variety of clinical modules (4-6 weeks each): general medicine, neurology/neurosurgery, trauma, general surgery, burns, cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery, orthopedics, and oncology, with correlating ICU exposure. We serve a socially, economically, and racially diverse patient population on the south side of Chicago and emphasize culturally competent care.

Cheryl L. Esbrook, OTR/L, BCPR
Board Certified in Physical Rehabilitation
Program Director of Occupational Therapy Professional Development 

UChicago Medicine
5841 S. Maryland Ave. | Rm. W107, MC1081 | Chicago, IL 60637
Email: cheryl.esbrook@uchicagomedicine.org 
Phone: 773-702-6891
Fax: 773-702-5340

University of Chicago Medicine Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy (OMPT) fellowship program is a post-graduate training program which aims to provide a professional development opportunity to prepare physical therapists to become advanced practitioners in orthopaedic manual physical therapy through didactic education, participation in research, professionally mentored patient care experiences and independent patient care. The program emphasizes the development of advanced psychomotor skills, theoretical rationales, evidence based techniques, and complex clinical reasoning to enhance the fellow-in-training’s ability to evaluate and treat orthopedic patient populations using OMPT principles. The program graduate will be an advanced OMPT clinician who will be an ongoing resource for the University of Chicago Medical Center, the physical therapy and medical community by promoting rehabilitation, health, and wellness for the persons they serve.

The fellow-in-training will be mentored by physical therapists who also completed UCM’s OMPT fellowship program.

There are 7 full time core faculty members who are Fellows of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists (FAAOMPT) and Board-Certified in Orthopedic Physical therapy (OCS).

The program includes focused in-person didactics, multiple hours of 1:1 mentoring a week, participation in departmental performance improvement or research projects, critical appraisal of the literature and case study presentations, and opportunities for specialty observation within the UCM health system. The courses include OMPT Scientific Foundations, Practice and Theory and 9 OMPT core courses on each of the 9 major joint regions of the human body. There are also specialty courses on Nutrition, Pain Science, Pharmacology and Psychology of Pain included in the program.

UCM serves a socially, economically, and racially diverse patient population on the south side of Chicago and emphasizes culturally competent care.

The graduate of the OMPT Fellowship is eligible and qualified to receive the FAAOMPT credential from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists.

Michael Vitt, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, RMSK
Program Director

UChicago Medicine
5841 S. Maryland Ave. | MC1081 | Chicago, IL 60637
Email: michael.vitt@uchicagomedicine.org
Phone: 773-795-7102
Fax: 773-702-5340