Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency Program
Advance to the next phase of your professional career by participating in the Virginia Commonwealth University Pediatric Residency Program. Primary practice settings include VCU Health Pediatric Acute Care and Children’s Hospital of Richmond (CHoR) at VCU Outpatient and Specialty Clinics. Affiliated clinical sites provide additional clinical exposures to Early Intervention, School System and Inpatient Rehabilitation practice settings. Residents are enrolled in the Virginia Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities program (Va-LEND)
Deadline is December 31, 2025.
The mission of the Virginia Commonwealth University Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency is to provide licensed physical therapists a pathway to achieve pediatric specialization. Program graduates will be professional leaders contributing to society by providing culturally-sensitive, family-centered care; facilitating high value health related outcomes; and actively participating in evidence based practice, social engagement, teaching, and research. Program goals and outcomes are assessed annually as part of a continuous improvement plan and strategic initiatives are updated as needed to maintain and/or exceed current ABPTRFE standards.
This 12.5 month program provides opportunities for the resident to gain experience with a diverse and complex patient population by providing direct clinical practice hours and/or clinical observation in the 5 practice settings of acute care, outpatient, inpatient rehabilitation, early intervention, and the school system.
Residents will have mentored teaching responsibilities and exposure to research activities at VCU College of Health Professions Department of Physical Therapy.
The curriculum will include enrollment of the resident in the Va-Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (Va – LEND) program.
The program is composed of blocks that group educational and clinical components and are threaded throughout the resident experience. Total Program Hours = 2198 to 2208 hrs.
| Blocks | Hours |
|---|---|
|
Direct patient care: Primary patient care rotation
|
6 months, 28 hours per week = 728 hours for each location Inclusive of 2 to 3 formal mentoring sessions per week |
|
Direct patient care: Secondary site
|
Approx. 5 hours per week for 6 months = 120 to 130 hours Formal mentorship sessions provided |
|
Affiliated clinical sites: Observation and setting specific assignments
|
150 hours |
| Community engagement | 32 hours |
|
Didactic work
|
356 hours |
|
Teaching/Research
|
84 hours |
Eligibility for Admission
- Graduate from an accredited physical therapy program
- Licensed as a physical therapist (or eligible) in the Commonwealth of Virginia
- US Citizen (required to participate in federally funded LEND program)
- Member of APTA and the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy of the APTA
- Strong professional interest in pediatric population, experience working with children, and express a desire to become a Pediatric Clinical Specialist.
- Recent graduates (practicing less than 1 year) applying to the pediatric residency must:
- have completed a >= 8 week pediatric clinical placement
- include a recommendation from their clinical instructor
- have evidence of practice at “entry level” on their clinical performance evaluation
Supplemental Application Fee
The VCU Pediatric PT Residency accepted the first residents in 2019.
| Total # of residents | 13 |
| Current residents in the program | 2 |
| Total # of graduates | 11 |
| Specialist exam candidates | 11 |
| Specialty exam pass rate | 100% (10/10) |
Residency Team
Tamara Buck, PT, DPT, (buckt@vcu.edu)
Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, Virginia Commonwealth University
Board Certified in Pediatric Physical Therapy
Tamara Buck is a physical therapist and ABPTS Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatrics with 32 years of clinical experience. She has been teaching pediatric physical therapy content in an entry-level DPT program for the past 8 years. She earned her DPT with an emphasis on Pediatric Sciences in 2016. Tamara is also in the dissertation phase of her PhD studies at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions. She completed her qualifying exams in Pediatric Sciences and has taken multiple classes in teaching and learning focused on health professions education. Tamara has a strong history of being a clinical instructor and continues to be active as a new professional mentor. She is committed to increasing physical activity for children and families who do not meet current guidelines for healthy living and threads this passion into her active research efforts.