top of page
FELLOWSHIP
PROGRAM OVERVIEW:
ASPIRE OMT Fellowship is a three year clinical fellowship program taught by well-recognizable and experienced faculty within the OMT profession. Many of our faculty have taught in both a Fellowship Program and university program and have experience in teaching, mentoring, and guest lecturing internationally.
MISSION STATEMENT:
The mission of ASPIRE OMT Institute is to empower physical therapists through clinical reasoning, biomechanical assessments and specific techniques to treat each patient as a whole while at the same time conducting ourselves with empathy, compassion, and respect. To support the Institute, the fellowship program is committed to creating mastery-level physical therapists and mentored leaders within OMT who can effectively manage highly complex patients by emphasizing an eclectic, quadrant-based approach toward treating the whole person and integrating clinical reasoning, differential diagnosis, and evidence-informed evaluation and management for neuromusculoskeletal dysfunctions.
Aspire OMT is accredited by the Accreditation Council of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy Education (ACOMPTE) as a Fellowship Program for physical therapists in Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy.
WHY ASPIRE OMT
Through completion of the ASPIRE OMT Fellowship, the fellow-in-training will . . . .
Demonstrate critical thinking and evidence informed practice for the management of patients with pain and neuromuscular impairments;
Apply knowledge of anatomy, physiology, behavior science, and biomechanics to evaluate, tree, modify and progress treatment and management of neuromusculoskeletal dysfunctions;
Apply advanced clinical reasoning throughout the assessment and management in OMPT to appropriately manage complex patients with neuromusculoskeletal impairments;
Demonstrate advanced communication skills with clients and/or professional colleagues, including: effective use of active listening skills, questioning strategies, interpersonal skills and other verbal/non-verbal communication skills when providing safe and effective OMPT patient centered care;
Demonstrate an advanced level of practical skills utilizing precision and specificity of techniques, enabling effective assessment and management to enable safe and effective practice within orthopaedic manual therapy;
Demonstrate continued clinical expertise and leadership in OMT and commitment to the professional development within orthopaedic manual therapy;
Demonstrate an understanding and application of the process of research within orthopaedic manual therapy.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
A physical therapist in good standing with a physical therapy license to practice in the US.
A minimum of one year (2000 hours) of orthopaedic physical therapy clinical experience.
Demonstrate proof of individual personal malpractice/liability insurance coverage with a professional consulting liability rider.
A successful interview with Aspire OMT's Advisory Board, which is scheduled after the application is received.
As well as one of the following:
Option 1: The candidate will have successfully passed all of ASPIRE OMT’s COMT level courses, or equivalent courses (including post-course exams and the oral comprehensive exam); or
Option 2: The candidate will have passed 5 out of 6 of ASPIRE OMT’s COMT courses and will submit a structured timeline and plan to complete the final ASPIRE OMT, COMT level course, or equivalent course (including post-course tests and oral comprehensive exam) within 12 months of admission into the ASPIRE OMT Fellowship; or
Option 3: The candidate has graduated from an ABPTRFE-accredited orthopaedic or sports residency program and has successfully completed an entrance examination. The entrance examination consists of 6 written tests associated with each of ASPIRE OMT's 6 COMT courses and the comprehensive oral COMT practical examination; or
Option 4: The candidate is an ABPTS board certified specialist in either orthopaedics or sports and has successfully completed an entrance examination. The entrance examination consists of 6 written tests associated with each of ASPIRE OMT’s 6 COMT courses and the comprehensive oral COMT practical examination.
PROGRAM DESIGN & CURRICULUM
ASPIRE OMT Fellowship will utilize a hybrid approach where clinical and academic curricular activities are performed in-person as well as virtual (synchronous & asynchronous).
Program Requirements:
Complete a minimum of 1,311 total program hours
299 theoretical educational hours
162 practical educational hours
850 patient-care clinic hours inclusive of 150 hours of 1:1 mentoring throughout the program
At least 75 of the 150 mentoring hours must be in-person (1:1)
The participant is the primary patient/client care provider for 75 of the minimum 150 mentoring hours.
The remaining mentoring hours may occur in person or using synchronous or asynchronous methodologies.
Total Aspire Fellowship Program Hours (1,311)
461 Hours - Educational Curriculum
The Cost of the Aspire Fellowship Program is $8300. This does not include travel, exams, and the cost of the 150 hours of 1:1 mentoring. The cost of the mentoring will be between the mentor and mentee.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
-
Who is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists (FAAOMPT)?"Fellow" status in the AAOMPT is both a membership classification and a professional credential. As a professional credential, a "Fellow" in AAOMPT is international recognition of competence and expertise in the practice of orthopaedic manual physical therapy by a physical therapist licensed in the USA. To achieve the Fellow credential, a physical therapist must complete a credentialed fellowship program in orthopaedic manual physical therapy or demonstrate the equivalent level of competence by successfully passing a portfolio review process for fellowship renewal. The "Fellow" is a physical therapist who has demonstrated advanced clinical, analytical, and hands-on skills in the treatment of musculoskeletal (orthopaedic) disorders. Fellows serve their patients and the public by demonstrating excellence in clinical practice, education, and research. For more information on the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists visit their website at www.aaompt.org.
-
How many hours are spent in guided clinical mentoring?Our Fellows in Training (FiTs) complete 150 hours of one-on-one clinical mentoring with an AAOMPT fellow. ASPIRE OMT offers over 30 Clinical Fellowship Instructors (CFI’s) who all possess the FAAOMPT status, as well as demonstrated proficiency in effective leadership and mentoring in order to provide our FITs with meaningful mentorship experiences. Mentors must be FAAOMPTs and be licensed in the USA, and we must establish a clinic agreement with them prior to onsite mentorship. Clinical supervision is defined as on-site, one-on-one instructor supervision of the Fellow in training while actively engaged in patient/client management. The Fellow in training must serve as the primary clinician responsible for the patient’s care for a minimum of 75 of the 150 hours. The remaining hours may be devoted to the observation of the instructor providing care to the instructor’s patient(s) and/or discussion with the instructor on patient/client management. It is the responsibility of the Fellows in training to arrange state licensure, travel, accommodations, etc., when engaged in practice at these facilities. Each CFI is trained by ASPIRE OMT’s senior faculty in effective mentorship techniques and strategies and is evaluated regularly and acts as an independent contractor to the FITs. The reimbursement for guided 1:1 mentorship is between the FITs and CFIs and does not include ASPIRE OMT.
-
Is the Fellowship Accredited?Yes! Aspire OMT is accredited by the Accreditation Council of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy Education (ACOMPTE) as a Fellowship Program for physical therapists in Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy.
START AN APPLICATION
We are accepting Fellowship applications for Fall 2023.
Please email fellowship@aspireomt.com to learn more!
Program Outcomes
bottom of page