Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency

“Choosing to complete an Orthopedic Residency at Nationwide Children’s Hospital has been the best first step in my career as it allowed me to continue to learn and develop as a new clinician. I have always had an interest in treating our youth population, whether an athlete, recreational participant, or a child learning to engage in physical activity, and I chose to pursue residency to improve my skillset in working with this unique population. I was able to partake in one on one mentoring sessions with residency faculty who are experts in their field and who have been able to share their knowledge with me. I expanded my knowledge base with our weekly lectures and research project and challenged my critical thinking skills during Grand Rounds. The residency program was committed to helping me become a better clinician, leader, and presenter, and gave me opportunities to grow in my personal interest areas including throwing athletes, pelvic health physical therapy, and youth physical literacy. Pursuing residency, specifically here at Nationwide Children’s, has helped me to grow into a well-rounded, knowledgeable, and most importantly a more confident clinician.”

Elizabeth Fraas, PT, DPT (2023-2024)

“I truly loved and cherished my time as one of the Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residents at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. It was easily the best decision I could have made after completing PT school and I would choose to do it all over again in a heartbeat. The program offers incredible opportunities to learn and develop your skills as a clinician, speaker, educator, leader, and person. My favorite part about the program is that you can seek out learning and experience in areas that you are passionate about. I chose to spend extra time learning more about isokinetic testing and concussion. The team of mentors that you are surrounded with aide in facilitating your growth as a professional and person with their years of experience and board-certified clinical specialist knowledge.”

Jeffrey Wergin, PT, DPT (2023-2024)

“Nationwide Children’s Hospital has always held a special place in my heart, having been a former patient myself. Everyone at Nationwide is extremely welcoming and compassionate, and dedicated to providing the best possible care to every patient. This includes the expert physical therapists and residency faculty, who held diverse backgrounds and are committed to helping others learn and succeed. I knew I wanted to do a residency at Nationwide so I could better serve this unique and special patient population that I was passionate about working with. The residency program provided numerous opportunities to grow through mentorship and lectures with expert clinicians, participate in research projects, and gain teaching and presenting experiences. This experience greatly helped me to become a more knowledgeable and well-rounded clinician and set me on a path for continued growth.”

Quinton Kane, PT, DPT, OCS (2023 Graduate)

“What initially drew me to apply for the Nationwide Children’s Hospital orthopedic PT residency was the unique opportunity to treat youth patients with orthopedic and sports conditions. After completing the program, I can say that this program provides so much more than just that. I found that the faculty was incredibly knowledgeable and supportive, with expertise in a wide variety of practice areas including adolescent pelvic health, performing arts, running, throwing, scoliosis, chronic pain, and many more. I had the benefit of receiving one-on-one mentorship from the faculty throughout the course of the program and I found their mentorship to be invaluable to me as a new clinician. I found the work environment at Nationwide Children’s to be encouraging and positive, and I felt welcomed by the department as a whole. The residency director and co-coordinators went out of their way to make the experience tailored to me and my professional goals through presentation and lecturing opportunities, as well as helping me set up shadowing experiences with clinicians in areas of interest to me. They gave their time to have frequent check-in meetings with me and my co-resident in order to provide guidance and seek our feedback. I was very impressed by the program and would recommend it to any hard-working physical therapist who wishes to expand their skills and knowledge in order to provide optimal evidence-based patient care.”

Natalie Fountain PT, DPT (2023 Graduate)

“The Nationwide Children’s Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency Program provided me the unique opportunity to gain experience working with the adolescent sports and orthopedic population. As I researched residency programs, Nationwide Children’s Hospital stood out to me for many reasons- the ability to grow in the PT profession clinically with one-on-one mentoring sessions, specialty clinic observations, surgery shadowing, and various specialty analyses including throwing, running, and golfing analysis. Additionally, the opportunity for advocacy for the profession with presentations at conferences, continuing education courses, and giving back to the community were important to me. All of these reasons peaked my interest in Nationwide Children’s; however, what solidified my decision was the family atmosphere that was felt with interacting with faculty and staff during my interview day and the constant pursuit to provide the highest level of care for our patients with our evidence based practice and research initiatives. The residency program allowed for a tremendous amount of growth both personally and professionally. I would highly recommend the Nationwide Children’s residency program to anyone who is passionate about the adolescent orthopedic and sport population.”

Rachel Stroski, PT, DPT, OCS (2022 Graduate)

“The Orthopedic PT residency at Nationwide Children’s Hospital was fundamental in expediting my growth as both a clinician and a person. The opportunity to work with such a niche population in pediatric orthopedics was exactly what I was seeking as a clinician. There were many facets of this program that are extremely valuable, but the two that were integral to my experience were the mentorship and additional opportunities for experiences outside of the clinic environment. If you are looking to gain a wealth of knowledge, skills, and confidence in your abilities through a residency, look no further than Nationwide Children’s. I would time and time again recommend this top-tier program.”

Jarrod Bell, PT, DPT, OCS (2022 Graduate)