Low back and neck pain are common causes of disability world-wide. Spine pain is often poorly recognized and managed, leading to the development of chronic pain as well as overutilization of imaging, medication, surgery and specialist office visits. Since most spine pain can be managed conservatively, there is a need for primary care healthcare professionals who possess skills in early recognition and appropriate management of spine pain to provide improved patient outcomes and decrease healthcare costs.
The mission of our Spine Physical Therapy Fellowship is to graduate advanced practitioners of spine physical therapy specialty practice who will express their education through excellence and leadership in the practice and teaching of clinical skills, expand the body of knowledge by participating in and/or conducting and disseminating clinically relevant research, and make a lasting contribution to society through service to their community and profession.
The Spine Physical Therapy Fellowship Program is a 12-month clinical program (begins August) designed to accelerate the development of the clinician’s understanding and expertise in the comprehensive management of spinal disorders. The program is only one of four spine physical therapy fellowship programs nationwide to be accredited by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education. It is the only program to include a comprehensive curriculum taught by world-class experts in the fields of physical therapy, medicine, surgery, dentistry, psychology, pharmacology and research. The program includes:
Prospective Fellows must submit the following:
Qualified applicants will be selected for formal interview. Non-U.S. citizens will require the appropriate visa and evidence of English language proficiency in addition to the licensure requirements.
Desirable qualities in an applicant include strong desire to advance clinical knowledge, skills, abilities, demonstrate clinical aptitude and/or potential, interest in teaching, clinical research and/or mentoring, strong written and verbal communication skills and evidence of initiative and self-responsibility.
$3,000 which includes:
The Fellow is paid for hours of clinical work. Salary is approximately 90 percent of full-time entry level paid position plus benefits including health insurance and paid time-off.
Application deadline is March 31. Interviews will be held in April. Applicants should apply at the RF-PTCAS Portal. Make sure to indicate you are applying for the USC Spine Physical Therapy Fellowship. Please contact the program director for official application if the portal is unavailable at any time.
All application materials and further inquiries or requests for additional information should be directed to Program Director, Dr. Justin Lantz.
The Spine Physical Therapy Fellowship has 2 graduates as of 2023, with a 100 percent graduation rate.
Joseph Derian
2023 APTA Outstanding Physical Therapist Fellow of the Year Award
