Prisma Health Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship Program

Prisma Health’s orthopedic manual physical therapy fellowship program is a clinical fellowship administered by Physical Therapy Specialists. Physical Therapy Specialists includes a multi-site clinic where the majority of the clinicians have advanced training in physical, occupational and speech therapy. 

Cultivating excellence and advanced clinical skills

Our fellowship program is a 12-month program for physical therapists who have obtained a board certification as an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist or have completed an APTA accredited orthopedic residency program. During the 12-month program, the physical therapist will be a full-time team member and will be eligible for benefits provided to all team members.

The fellow-in-training will receive 150 hours of one-on-one mentoring from a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy and will participate in 150 hours of didactic learning experiences, including lectures, labs, one-on-one training, self-paced learning modules and instruction at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine.

The fellowship program has been granted candidacy status and is seeking full accreditation status by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE) by May 2025.

What is a clinical fellowship?

According to the ABPTRFE a clinical fellowship is defined as the following:

“A fellowship is a post-professional planned learning experience comprised of a curriculum encompassing the essential knowledge, skills, and responsibilities of an advanced physical therapist within a defined area of subspecialty practice. A clinical fellowship candidate has either completed a residency program in a related specialty area or is an American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties board-certified specialist in a related area of specialty.”

What are the benefits of a fellowship program?

The benefits of a fellowship program are:

• Completion of a fellowship program granted candidacy status or an ABPTRFE accredited fellowship program makes a physical therapist eligible for membership of the American Academy of Manual Physical Therapy (AAOMPT).
• Participants receive one-on-one mentoring from a fellow of the American Academy of Manual Physical Therapy.
• Participants improve their marketability as a clinician.
• Participants learn advanced and innovative clinical skills, improve clinical reasoning and analysis and become a leader in the field of orthopedic manual physical therapy.

Why choose Prisma Health’s fellowship program?

The mission of the Prisma Health Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy Fellowship Program is to cultivate a fellow with excellent clinical reasoning skills and an advanced manual therapy skill set in the field of orthopedics through the utilization of didactic learning, practical experience, integration of evidence-based practice and the use of innovative interventions that will ultimately provide patients with superior care and outcomes.

The fellowship is offered by Physical Therapy Specialists, a hospital-based outpatient clinic with multiple sites that are part of Prisma Health.

The clinic offers:

• Physical, occupational and speech therapy services
• Eight specialty programs including neuroscience, post-concussion, fall prevention, and cancer rehabilitation.
• Six orthopedic, three geriatric and two neurological specialists, in addition to five AAOMPT fellows
• Two full-time professors and four associated instructional/adjunction faculty members with the University of South Carolina Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, University of South Carolina School of Medicine and University of South Carolina Exercise Science Department

We are proud to be the only orthopedic manual fellowship program in the state of South Carolina and will offer a comprehensive curriculum including topics of upper and lower quarter dry needing, manipulations/mobilizations, instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization, blood flow restriction, differential diagnosis, wellness, sports nutrition, pain science, vestibular and post-concussion, innovations in rehab, diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound, research methods, progressive lifting techniques and pelvic floor therapy.

Program application process

• Application process opens: September 1
• Application process closes: January 30
• Fellowship start date: April 1
• Fellowship end date: March 30 of the following year

To apply, or for additional information about our program or the application process, contact Melissa Nolan, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, at melissa.nolan2@prismahealth.org

Program evaluation tools

The Prisma Health orthopedic manual physical therapy fellowship uses the ABPTRFE Orthopedic Description of Specialty Practice (DSP) as a guide to determine content areas that the fellow-in-training is competent in.  Fifty, 100 and 150 hours of mentoring is completed during the program. 

Other evaluative tools include:

• Two teaching evaluations assessing ability to teach physical therapy residents, DPT students or other peers and colleagues.
• A written examination based on orthopedic manual physical therapy didactic and lab work taught in the fellowship.
• Two live patient exams to evaluate clinical reasoning and orthopedic evaluation skills.
• Completed case series and abstract write up for publication.

Program outcomes

Due to this being the first year, we do not have program outcomes available at this time. The percentage of fellows-in-training earning FAAOMPT credentials after completing the program is expected to be 100%.