Advance your practice. And your career.

Mass General Brigham University's Clinical Residency in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy is designed for physical therapists wishing to advance their clinical skills in orthopaedics. This year-long residency combines clinical mentoring, academic courses, and opportunities for teaching, research, and community service. Upon completion, residents are prepared for the APTA Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) certification exam.

Physical therapist working on a patients knee

Semester Starts: Fall

Application Deadline: December 1st

Time to Complete: 12 months

Format: Onsite

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Residency Components

During the year of the residency program, the resident will be an employee at one of our clinical partners (.75 FTE), with non-degree student status at Mass General Brigham University of Health Professions. Over the course of one year, the resident/employee will complete:

At least 1500 hours, or approximately 30 hours per week, of orthopedic physical therapy clinical practice in one of our clinical partner facilities that includes at least 150 hours of one-to-one mentoring with an advanced clinician mentor on staff at the clinical partner facility;
300 hours of didactic education through completion of the Elevating Practice Course and attendance at designated seminars.
200 hours of Resident Directed Learning, including but not limited to:
- Paid lab instructing in DPT courses;
- Mentored research;
- APTA Orthopaedic Section Independent Study courses;
- Community Outreach.

Program Goals

Prepare residents to deliver high-quality patient care for individuals with orthopedic conditions, consistent with clinical specialization.
Develop residents who consistently engage in evidence-based practice by appraising, synthesizing, and integrating research into orthopedic clinical care.
Foster residents’ skills as clinical mentors, educators, and professional consultants.
Prepare residents to advance the profession through leadership, scholarly contributions, and service in orthopedic physical therapy.
Ensure ongoing program quality and sustainability.

Resident Outcomes

Upon completion of the residency program:

Residents demonstrate complex clinical reasoning and advanced psychomotor skills consistent with orthopedic clinical specialist practice.
Residents demonstrate a commitment to sharing knowledge and advancing the practice of others through mentoring, teaching, and leadership.
Residents are prepared to sit for and pass the Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist (OCS) certification examination administered by ABPTS.
1. The program maintains an average first-time pass rate of ≥ 90% on the OCS exam.
Residents develop a scholarly agenda and contribute to knowledge advancing the physical therapy profession.

An Expert to Mentor You

During the residency year, you will have a paid clinical appointment with one of our clinical partners: Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston or Waltham), Brigham and Women’s Hospital (Foxborough) or Spaulding Outpatient Center (Framingham, Malden, or Wellesley).

As part of the clinical appointment, over the course of the residency year, a minimum of 150 hours is devoted to one-on-one mentoring with an orthopaedic clinical specialist (OCS).

Focus on Teaching, Research, and Community Service

We're committed to educating well-rounded residents with the skills to improve the lives of their patients, mentor students, interact successfully with other members of the healthcare community, and contribute to the physical therapy body of knowledge through research.

By serving as laboratory instructors under the mentorship of our physical therapy faculty, you'll have the unique opportunity to teach students in our highly-ranked Doctor of Physical Therapy program while enhancing your understanding of musculoskeletal physical therapy.

You will also participate in research through the university or one of our clinical partners in the Mass General Brigham system.

Finally, there are opportunities for you to be involved in health promotion initiatives (including health and wellness programs) such as the adaptive sports programs at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.

Application & Clinical Partner Matching Process

Applicants to the residency program must:

Be graduates of (or expect to graduate by program initiation) an accredited physical therapy program.
Have (or have by program initiation) a valid Massachusetts PT license.
Have completed a minimum of 10 weeks (400 hours) of clinical experience in an outpatient orthopedic setting either as a student or as a licensed PT.

The Clinical Residency in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy program participates in the Residency/Fellowship Physical Therapist Centralized Application Service (RF-PTCAS). The application process begins on September 15th.

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Completed applications must be submitted by December 1st, 2026.

Candidates who are preliminarily accepted by the PT Department will interview with one or more of our Residency clinical partners.

Interviewed candidates who are determined to meet employment criteria at one or more partner facilities and are approved by the facility as qualified residents/employees will be matched to a clinical partner through a collaborative process with the facility and the Program Director.

As employees of a Mass General Brigham facility, each resident must meet the conditions for both initial and ongoing employment for that facility. Potential residents will be informed of all employment standards of the facility prior to accepting the residency position.

For more information on the Residency Program, contact our Program Director Benjamin Adams, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS, CSCS.

Costs

$8,000 which includes:

Fact Sheet

The tuition & fees presented herein are subject to modification at the discretion of the University and as approved by its governing bodies. Revisions may occur without advance notice.

Compensation

The Residency wage & benefit packet is equivalent to a 75% employee. DPT lab instructing time is also compensated.

100%

program completion rate

100%

1st time pass rate on OCS exam

100%

of residents are lab instructors during or after program

Accomplished Faculty

In the Clinical Residency program, you'll learn from expert clinical and academic faculty who apply the latest evidence in the practice and teaching of orthopaedic physical therapy.

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ben has a close cropped beard and mustache and wears a blue checkered shirt with a navy tie

Benjamin Adams, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS, CSCS

Director, Clinical Residency in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Director, Clinical Residency in Sports Physical Therapy Assistant Professor, Physical Therapy

Benjamin Adams, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS, CSCS

bgadams@mghihp.edu
B39- 277

Jessica Hildebrandt, PT, DPT, OCS

Residency Faculty Physical Therapy

Jessica Hildebrandt, PT, DPT, OCS

jhildebrandt1@mghihp.edu

Justin Wong, PT, DPT, OCS

Instructor Physical Therapy PhD Student

Justin Wong, PT, DPT, OCS

jwong46@mghihp.edu
B39- 281

Michael Micco, PT, DPT, OCS

Residency Faculty Physical Therapy

Michael Micco, PT, DPT, OCS

mmicco@mgb.org

Douglas Gross, MPT, DPT, ScD, FAAOMPT, CPed

Associate Professor Physical Therapy

Douglas Gross, MPT, DPT, ScD, FAAOMPT, CPed

dgross1@mghihp.edu
(617) 643-6322
B39- 273

Dr. Rebecca Pham, PT, DPT, CCS

Instructor Physical Therapy

Dr. Rebecca Pham, PT, DPT, CCS

rpham@mghihp.edu
B39- 277