Sports Physical Therapy Residency

Adventist Health Glendale's (AHGL) Sports Physical Therapy Residency Program focuses on providing clinical training for physical therapists that accelerates their professional development in becoming a 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.

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

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 benefitted position by AHGL.

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 sports certified clinical specialist examination.
• Maintain AHGL’s 100% pass rate on sports certified clinical specialist examination.

The residency consists of the following four domains:

1:1 Mentorship (150 hours) - With APTA board certified sports clinical specialist

Patient Care Clinic Hours in Sports Physical Therapy
Clinic Hours (1,400 hours)
On-Field Hours (400 hours) – At local high schools, colleges and other sports venues.

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.
• AHGL employment prior to start of residency.
• Emergency Response for the Athlete (ERA) certification or athletic trainer certification (ATC) prior to start of the residency.

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, MBA
Program Director
Physical Therapy Residency Programs – Orthopedic/Sports
BentzeKR@ah.org

AHGL’s Therapy & Wellness Center
2560 Colorado Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90041

Phone: (323) 255-5409

Fax: (323) 255-5732