Sports Physical Therapy Residency

Adventist Health Glendale's Sports Physical Therapy Residency Program focuses on providing clinical training for physical therapists that accelerates their professional development in becoming a board-certified clinical specialist in sports physical therapy. Since our program’s initial accreditation in 2015, all of our residents have graduated and passed the sports board certification examination.

Adventist Health Glendale is an accredited physical therapy sports residency by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE)

View Adventist Health Glendale’s financial fact sheet.

General Details

The residency begins in the summer and runs for 12 consecutive months, covering a full season each of fall, winter and spring sports. The curriculum combines educational hours, 1:1 mentoring hours, on-field/athletic venue experiences and patient care clinic hours with sports physical therapy patients.

Residents are employed in a full-time benefited position by Adventist Health Glendale.

Residency Goals

• Highest standards of professionalism in sports physical therapy.
• Highest level of evidence-based sports physical therapy.
• Develop advanced clinical competence in sports physical therapy.
• Prepare residents for successful completion of the board certification examination in sports physical therapy.
• Maintain Adventist Health Glendale's 100% pass rate on the board certification examination in sports physical therapy.

The residency consists of the following four domains:

1:1 Mentorship (150 hours) - With a board certified clinical specialist in sports physical therapy

Patient Care Clinic Hours in orthopedic and sports physical therapy (1,400 hours)
On-Field Hours (400 hours) – At local high schools and NCAA Division III colleges

Educational Hours (350 hours)

• Core and Professional Competencies.
• Foundational Knowledge.
• Psychomotor Skills and Skills Checklist.
• Lectures and Labs.
• Conferences and Seminars.
• Live Patient and Written Examinations.
• Capstone and Item Writing Projects.
• Case Study Presentation.

Eligibility/Application Requirements

Minimum eligibility requirements:

• Entry-level physical therapy degree from CAPTE-accredited program.
• California physical therapy licensure.
• Emergency Response for the Athlete (ERA) certification or athletic trainer certification (ATC) prior to start of the residency.
• Residents must onboard as Adventist Health Glendale associates no later than August before the start of the residency year.
• New graduates must be NPTE board eligible no later than July before the start of the residency program.

Applications will be evaluated based on, but not limited to, the following criteria:

• Academic and clinical education.
• Clinical experience in outpatient sports physical therapy.
• Leadership and community service experiences.

To apply for the upcoming residency year, please visit RF-PTCAS for application details and deadlines.

Contact Us

Kirk R. Bentzen, PT, DPT, PhD, MBA
Program Director
Physical Therapy Residency Programs – Orthopedic/Sports
BentzeKR@ah.org

Adventist Health Glendale’s Therapy & Wellness Center
2560 Colorado Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90041

Phone: (323) 255-5409
Fax: (323) 255-5732