CLINICAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FAQ's

1. What is a clinical Fellowship program and how is it different from a residency program?
2. How do I know the NAIOMT program is a quality program?
3. How can I select the Fellowship program that is right for me?
4. What are the benefits and drawbacks of a part time Fellowship program?

1. What designation will I be able to use?
2. Do you have university affiliations and can I utilize NAIOMT classes or fellowship hours toward a post professional degree?
3. How does the manual therapy certification differ from the OCS?

1. What is the length and start dates of your part time Fellowship program?
2. I would like to do a few clinical hours now and again over a much longer period. Is this OK?
3. I have been a qualified PT for several years, and have accumulated many continuing education hours. Can I count those?
4. I am a recently graduated PT who is interested in your Fellowship Program. Can I begin immediately?
5. What if I start the Fellowship, and then change my mind?
6. Do you offer leave of absences or extension to the program?
7. I wasn't sure if clinical supervision would suit me, so a NAIOMT CFI spent a day observing me a year ago. I now want to register for the NAIOMT Fellowship. Can I count those hours?

1. How many contact hours must I acquire?
2. What is the purpose of the 440 clinically supervised hours?
3. What is the purpose of the 1:1 (direct) clinically supervised hours?
4. What is the purpose of the tutorials
5. How can I achieve the total 578 theoretical & practical (lab/non-patient) hours?
6. What would a typical week include?
7. Will I be expected to do a research project?

1. Who is a NAIOMT CFI?
2. How do I find a clinical site?
3. What if the Clinical Education is in a state in which I do not hold a current PT license?
4. I am having difficulty finding an available CFI or plan that will work for me.
5. I am interested in beginning a NAIOMT Fellowship - what do I do next?
6. What is your selection process?
7. I am still not sure if this is right for me. Can I try some hours?

1. I am very interested, but how much will it cost?
2. How can I reduce those costs?

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA 2002) defines Fellowship and Residency programs as:

A clinical fellowship is a postprofessional, funded, and planned learning experience in a focused subspecialty area of clinical practice,education, or research. The fellowship is intended for postdoctoral, post-residency prepared, or board-certified therapists.
A clinical residency is designed to substantially advance a resident's expertise in examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, intervention, and management of patients in a defined area of clinical practice (specialty). This focus may also include community service, patient education, research, and supervision of other health care providers (professional and paraprofessional). Often, the residency experience prepares an individual to become a board-certified clinical specialist.

A fellowship is designed for the graduate of a residency or board-certified therapist to focus on a subspecialty area of clinical practice, education, or research.

NAIOMT's Fellowship program was approved by AAOMPT in 1998, and APTA-credentialed in 2001. The faculty consists of skilled experienced clinicians many of whom have published and presented nationally and internationally.
The majority of the NAIOMT faculty is fellowship trained and their biographies can be reviewed on this website. Each of the senior faculty has over 30 years of clinical experience and is nationally and internationally recognized.

AAOMPT- recognized programs meet their published standards, and the curriculum is within the DACP-OMPT (1998). For further information on AAOMPT Standards, contact: http://www.aaompt.org

NAIOMT is credentialed by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) as a post-professional clinical fellowship program for physical therapists in orthopaedic manual therapy. For further information on APTA postprofessional Fellowship credentialing, contact: http://www.apta.org/Education/clinical

The Orthopaedic Section of APTA and AAOMPT published "Guidelines for Postprofessional Residencies in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy and Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy" in 2001, available from the Orthopaedic Section office 1 800 444 3982. Primarily designed to assist Fellowship programs, it can also be used by individuals to help them evaluate fellowship and residency programs

Consult AAOMPT and APTA for their list of approved and credentialed Fellowship programs. Receive publications or visit the web sites of the different opportunities to find the Fellowship program that will fulfill your educational needs. Talk to graduates of the different programs to find "first hand" information.

You typically do not need to relocate to the site of a full time program, nor change employment, You set the pace and time frame of your fellowship experience to complete your goals while maintaining your "life" outside of physical therapy. The part time program, however, requires more discipline to continue with your study plan without the daily stimulus of a group progressing through a full time program together in the same location. You are also responsible for the documentation of hours and monitoring of progress.

NAIOMT has always utilized the initials "COMT" to signify NAIOMT- advanced certification in Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapy. On completion of the entire Fellowship program, the NAIOMT graduate can apply for Fellowship with AAOMPT. For further information on AAOMPT Fellowship contact: www.aaompt.org

Yes. The fellowship program clinical and classroom hours and examination completion can be used for some elective credits towards postprofessional doctoral or masters programs at universities with whom NAIOMT has a relationship. This enables the Fellowship Student to be on a "dual track", working towards a postprofessional doctorate and also towards manual therapy clinical certification. Most of the postprofessional programs are also part-time, enabling the clinician to stay at their present work and physical location, only periodically traveling to weekend courses or utilize distance learning.
For more information see NAIOMT University Affiliations.

The OCS, is an orthopaedic certified specialist certification though the American Board of PT Specialties. It is a written examination, offered annually, and NAIOMT encourages its students to strive for that certification.
Manual therapy is a sub-specialty of orthopaedics, and the manual therapy certification includes a practical examination. The Fellowship graduate has also been examined with a "live patient"

The minimum time frame for the clinical Fellowship is 12 months the maximum is 36 months. Once the Fellowship officially starts, the "clock is ticking". The majority of the total didactic, practical, clinical and self-study hours needs to be completed within 36 months and total in excess of 1500 hours. Intakes are flexible and year -round (rolling). The student begins when the time is right for them, and when they have a clear temporal plan mapped out with their clinical instructors, planned dates for ?weekend? classes and examinations, and a plan that they be able to complete in 36 months.

No. A Fellowship program is a planned program, over a specific amount of time, with a concentrated effort over the defined time span. Occasional hours could not be part of a fellowship program - however - it is another excellent way of obtaining continuing education.

The majority of the hours normally must be acquired during a 36-month period. NAIOMT acknowledges your past experience and may transfer some contact hours acquired from manual therapy and related science and medical courses within 5 years before the beginning of your Fellowship. You need to provide details of the course and a certificate of attendance to the NAIOMT credentialing committee for evaluation.

Yes, if you wish to be in on a "fast track" and continue to continue on a heavy schedule of study AND have documentation of a higher level of orthopaedic training and clinical affiliations within your PT training. None of your PT training hours can be included in the 1500-hour NAIOMT Fellowship Program, but the program builds on your specialist orthopaedic training.
Map out your time frame and goals carefully with your NAIOMT CRI or the Clinical Fellowship Director. We also recommend that you attend one of our classes or sample some supervised clinical hours before registering, to help ensure that our style and approach will meet your needs.

Your fellowship plan and timeline was designed by you and your CFI to fit your life demands and learning goals, and approved by NAIOMT. However, if things change, we record your completed hours as a partial fellowship. If you were to start again at a future date, some of the hours may be transferable.

If a significant life event interrupts your Fellowship Program, you can normally apply for a leave of absence for up to one year or an extension of up to 6 months, to allow you to complete all the requirements. Approval of a leave of absence or extension will be on a case-by-case basis.

Yes, you may receive credit for "pre-fellowship transfer hours" if the supervised hours meet our guidelines. We allow credit of up to 25 hours of 1:1 direct clinical supervision by a NAIOMT CFI, providing it was within 2 years of the start of your fellowship.

The NAIOMT Fellowship Program requirement is 1500 hours of postprofessional study. APTA requires 1000 hours for an APTA-credentialed fellowship. AAOMPT requirements include a component of 440 clinically supervised hours. NAIOMT identifies 568 hours (of the 1500 total) to be didactic and practical hours, 440 clinical, and the remaining hours from the fellowship project.

This is the heart of the fellowship experience; working under the supervision of a skilled clinician 440 hours. (55-8 hour days; one week a month for a year; or one week every 3-4 months over 3 years etc.) The hours must be completed in a facility where a certified orthopaedic manual physical therapist is immediately available on or offsite during the 440 hours. (AAOMPT Standards 1999) NAIOMT requires that greater than 50% of those hours are under the supervision of a NAIOMT Clinical Fellowship Instructor.
You will need 440 minus 130 of direct 1:1 minus 40 of tutorial = 270 hours of indirect clinical supervision.

This is the most critical part within the 440 hours of the clinical fellowship experience. Working under the direct on-site supervision of the CFI who is looking over your shoulder, feeling what you are feeling, analyzing your diagnostic and clinical reasoning. Fellowship students are to receive a minimum of 130 hours of 1:1 direct supervised patient contact. 20 of those hours can be the fellowship student observing the CFI. (AAOMPT Standards 1999)

Fellowship students are to receive a minimum of 40 non-patient tutorial contact hours (within the 440 clinical total). The intent of the tutorial is to provide small group clinical problem solving opportunities and peer and faculty interaction, usually in a 1:6 ratio or better. This is achieved through face-to-face, electronic, or teleconference interaction, and enhances the ability to prospectively and retrospectively analyze patient management. Ideally the tutorial is done in real-time with immediate feedback. (Adapted from AAOMPT Standards 1999)

NAIOMT provides 252 hours within it core classes (levels 500-800, I, II, III, IV of which approximately 50% is theory, 50% is practical). NAIOMT offers elective classes taught by NAIOMT faculty. Up to 50% of the theoretical and 50% of the practical hour total hour requirements can be obtained from classes taught by experts who are not NAIOMT faculty. Approval of the transfer of hours is subject to NAIOMT review of the class content and instructor credentials.

In a part time flexible program, a "typical week" is hard to describe and variable. You may be receiving direct clinical supervision, be attending a ?weekend class?, studying for an examination, working with patients with indirect supervision, working on a minor or major study project, or taking a regular week with family and working with your patients.
You will need to space the 130 clinical hours of 1:1 direct interaction over a minimum of one year and maximum of three years. The part time program allows you to spend concentrated weeks (1-3 weeks) or days (1/2 -4 days) spaced out through your Fellowship Program. We recommend that 20% of your 1:1 (approx 26 hours) is obtained when you are the core levels I and II (500, 600, 610 courses), and 40% (approx 52 hours) at each of the levels III/700/710 and IV/ 800. This ensures that the majority of the 1:1 hours are spent in advanced clinical reasoning and complex techniques.

Will I be expected to do a research projrct?

During your 12-36 month Clinical Fellowship, you will be working on a Fellowship project approved by your CFI, Fellowship Director and the Board of Directors of NAIOMT. Fellowship programs approved by AAOMPT have a research or special project as part of their graduation requirements and recommendations.

• NAIOMT Fellowship Program Objective: The Fellowship student Graduate will demonstrate the ability to promote and assist in research and outcome measurement.
• The DACP-OMPT (1998) recommends that the graduate contribute to physical therapy literature, which may include: research, presentation at a national or state meeting or to a journal, case report, literature review, theory paper, computer or A/V development of PT education or patient care delivery.

Before you get concerned with the "research" word, your NAIOMT graduation is at this time not dependent on the completion of a full research project, BUT we must see a professionally written work, like a case study, suitable for publication in a journal or newsletter, that reflects our mission and objectives and contributes to the manual physical therapy profession.
The project does not need to be a solo effort, you could work with another fellowship student or students to produce the project. The fellowship project is part of the 1500 hour requirement, but does not substitute for the theory hours.

A NAIOMT-approved Clinical Fellowship Instructor (CFI) is typically a NAIOMT Faculty member, or is physical therapist who has completed our Fellowship and CFI-training program. The CFI is under a contractual agreement with NAIOMT to provide high quality clinical education (supervised clinical placement) opportunities that meet our guidelines.

The clinical site is wherever the CFI is providing clinical supervision. It may be at your or their site of employment or at an independent site. Some CFIs are able to take part time fellowship students or employ fellowship students; others prefer to travel to the fellowship student's employment site. Host sites have offered 1-3 week clinicals for 3-6 Fellowship students, with a visiting CFI. The Fellowship Director or administrator will assist you in locating a site.

The licensing laws in each state differ, so you and your CFI in conjunction with NAIOMT will need to verify your ability to practice in that state for the specific number of days or weeks without a PT license in that State, or you may need to obtain a temporary or permanent PT license. You both will also need to be in compliance with all malpractice insurance and other requirements, policies and procedures at the site where you will be working with patients/clients. It is the responsibility of you and your CFI to ensure you are in compliance with all state regulations and physical site policies and procedures. You are urged to carry your own personal malpractice insurance policy, as your employer's group policy may not cover you if you are off site. Licensing laws and addresses of PT licensing boards can be obtained through APTA at www.apta.org or from the Federation of State PT Licensing Boards at www.fsbpt.org

1. Complete the no obligation form CFP #1 and fax (503 349 -1172) or mail to: NAIOMT Inc, PMB 129, 1574 Coburg Rd, Eugene, Oregon 97401-4802 or scan and email to fellowship@naiomt.com.
2. If you have already competed the form and begun communications with us, e mail us or call us at 1 800 706 5550 describing the difficulties, and we we try to assist you with a plan and options

There is a Fellowship student application, selection and interview (distance or in person) process. Placement will be subject to availability of CFIs and physical sites. NAIOMT will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, age, disability or sexual orientation.

Yes. Up to 25 clinical hours can be completed in a "pre-fellowship" or supervised clinical placement (SCP) and applied to the fellowship (if you register within 2 years). This enables you to experience postprofessional clinical supervision to see if it meets your learning needs. If the full fellowship program is not right for you at that time, you will still have experienced some valuable clinical education.

NAIOMT's Fellowship Program costs will be similar to other orthopaedic and manual therapy fellowship and residency programs. As it is a part time program, the costs may be spread out over longer periods and you "pay as you go". You may be able to transfer some hours of previous education. Some costs may be higher due to travel expenses of you or the CFI.

Estimated expenses:

• Core courses levels I-IV approx. 36 days @ average $160 per day Specialty/elective classes: 326 hrs & $150-200 per day or structured home study classes
  
• Clinical hours 130 of 1:1 assuming CFI $60-100/hr /no travel expenses
  
• 270 other clinical and 40 hours tutorial - variable dependent on work situation
  
• NAIOMT Fellowship credentialing and annual dues (Annual dues @ $60, registration fee $75, credentialing $125)(as of 03/04)
  
• NAIOMT Exams(approx $2000)

Some ideas--

• Discuss with your employer the potential for financial support for continuing education and fellowship training.
• Search out employment sites where a NAIOMT CFI or manual therapist is currently working or in close proximity.
• If two or more students are in the same location or clinic, some of the instructor costs may be shared.
• Consider home study courses offered by the APTA, Orthopaedic and Sports sections and others. The cost per contact hour is usually low.
• Volunteer to be the Site Coordinator or a member of a sponsoring committee that hosts continuing education of supervised clinical placement opportunities
• Obtain some hours by lab assisting on NAIOMT classes
• Apply for clinical research grants
• Utilize distance learning opportunities and on-line technology

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