Sports Residency Program
Advance to the next phase of your professional development by participating in the Virginia Commonwealth University Sports Residency Program, a partnership between Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Physical Therapy (VCU) and Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (VCUHS).
VCUHS is a large academic Level 1 Trauma center and as such provides unique experiences that are rich and educational.
Join our team of innovative educators and clinicians for a 13 month experience that includes providing patient care at VCU Sports Medicine, gaining on-field experience with VCU Athletics, and working closely with the physicians at Sports Medicine. This broad range of experiences prepares a resident for the specialty examination in Sports Physical Therapy and the resident receives an excellent salary and benefits as you gain advanced knowledge and skills in Sports Physical Therapy.
Deadline is December 1, 2025.
The mission of the VCU Sports Residency Program is to prepare physical therapy residents for advanced specialty practice.
The program is designed to provide advanced level training in the treatment of individuals with sports injuries and promote the APTA core values. This program will aim to produce advanced physical therapy practitioners who are able to provide care to individuals with complex sports-related disorders, teach, serve as a resource to the community and other health professionals, and contribute to evidence-based practice. This will be accomplished via sports clinical experiences at VCU Sports Medicine under the mentorship of sports clinical specialists. It will also include didactic learning experiences in sports physical therapy with Virginia Commonwealth University teaching and research faculty and VCU Athletics staff, which will include athletic training and strength and conditioning staff members.
The residency is comprised of the close relationship between VCU Sports Medicine physical therapy staff and physicians, as well as the athletic training and strength and conditioning staffs with VCU Athletics. These relationships will provide the resident with a wide variety of opportunities promoting enhanced clinical reasoning and exposing the resident to differing perspectives on care. The experiences are designed to achieve the vision of the program while preparing the resident for successful completion of the specialty exam.
The 13-month residency includes
- Contributing to a clinical project that can be disseminated nationally (scholarship/research)
- Contributing to an initiative aimed to improve the health of the community (service learning)
- Learning through interprofessional collaboration and networking (interprofessional education)
- Promoting evidence based care (evidence-based practice)
- Teaching in the entry level program or for professional development events (teaching)
Although residents are expected to contribute to and learn from each component of the program, residents are encouraged to design an experience that both provides a foundation for their continued professional development and challenges their professional growth. The clinical mentors and residency faculty help guide the design of the resident’s individualized experience.
Eligibility for Admission
- Graduate from an accredited physical therapy program
- Licensed as a physical therapist (or eligible) in the Commonwealth of Virginia
- Member of APTA
RF-PTCAS Application Requirements
- Complete RF-PTCAS application
- Employment history
- License eligibility
- CEU’s and pattern of professional development
- Professional memberships and involvement
- Background information
- Clinical experience and internships
- Personal statement / essays
- Volunteer history
- Official transcripts from every US college and university attended for PT education
- RFPTCAS application fee
- Letters of Recommendation (3)
- Recommendations providing insight into clinical experience and qualifications for residency
- Recent graduates (practicing less than 1 year) -– must include a recommendation from one of your clinical instructors and evidence of practice at “entry level” on the CPI
- Practicing Clinicians – recommendations from professional colleagues are acceptable
Additional Requirements
- Employment applications to VCU Health System (timing is after being chosen as the incoming resident)
- Residency application fee
- Curriculum Vitae
Ongoing Requirements
- Evidence of APTA membership
- Compliance with employment requirements of VCU Health System
Supplemental Application Fee
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Direct patient care
28 hours/week
Mentored activity
3-4 hours/week
Didactic Work
(Teaching and clinical exposures)
6-8 hours/week
Event coverage
10-12 hours/week
The VCU Sports Residency accepted the first resident in 2016.
| Total # of residents | 10 |
| Current residents in program | 1 |
| Total # of graduates | 9 |
| Specialty exam candidates | 9 |
| Specialty exam pass rate | 86% (7/8) |
Residency Team
Chad Taylor, PT, DPT, ATC, CSCS (taylorcc2@vcu.edu)
Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, Virginia Commonwealth University
Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy
Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopedic Physical Therapy
Chad joined VCU Sports Medicine in 2015. Chad enjoys working with all athletes, particularly those with injuries of the lower extremity and shoulder. He also performs biomechanical foot evaluations and casts patients for custom orthotics. He has a history of working with young adolescents up to professional athletes.
Chad holds the distinction of being a Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Sports Physical Therapy and Orthopedic Physical Therapy through the American Physical Therapy Association. Chad is also a certified athletic trainer through the National Athletic Training Association, as well as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Chad is an assistant professor in the VCU Department of Physical Therapy where he teaches courses in musculoskeletal physical therapy. Chad serves as the Director of the VCU Sports Residency program. He is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association and its Sports Section.
Chad received his undergraduate degree in 1998 from the College of William and Mary. He earned his MSPT in 2001 and his DPT in 2007 from VCU.