Corewell Health West Michigan Physical Therapy Residency Programs
Our mission
Our mission is to develop specialty practice, board-certified physical therapists who are leaders and educators in clinical practice and provide evidence-based, exceptional, and affordable care to improve the health of the communities they serve.
Corewell Health West Michigan Physical Therapist Residency Programs are designed to accelerate your growth as a clinician and prepare you for advanced practice in your chosen specialty. Each program combines immersive clinical experience, structured didactic learning, and personalized mentoring to help you develop the clinical expertise and confidence to excel in your career.
As part of the largest health system in Michigan and located in Grand Rapids, our residents benefit from:
- Diverse clinical experiences through exposure to a wide range of patient populations and practice settings
- Interdisciplinary collaboration with a highly skilled, multi-disciplinary team of healthcare professionals
- Evidence-based curriculum that integrates the latest research and clinical guidelines
- Dedicated one-to-one mentorship from experienced clinicians committed to your professional growth
Program Highlights
- Each specialty program is 12 months in length, beginning and ending in late August
- Receive approximately 4 hours of mentoring each week by a clinical practice expert in both patient care settings and focused meetings for case discussions and professional development
- Full-time employment status with a 32-hour/week clinical appointment, full benefits package, and compensation aligned with the clinical appointment of the role (80% of the market rate for a full-time entry-level physical therapist)
- One resident admitted per specialty program each year
Our residency programs are ideal for physical therapists who are passionate about advancing their clinical expertise, making a meaningful impact on their communities, and becoming leaders in the profession.
Curriculum:
The didactic curriculum utilizes MedBridge coursework, clinical practice guidelines, and recommendations from the Academy of Neurologic Physical Therapy. Coursework progresses from foundational concepts to advanced clinical application, with content aligned to residents' clinical experiences. Residents receive a MedBridge subscription as part of the program. The curriculum is designed to support preparation for the Neurologic board certification examination (NCS) through structured coursework, mentorship, and clinical application.
Clinical Structure:
Residents complete three primary clinical rotations in acute care, subacute rehabilitation, and outpatient neurologic rehabilitation. This structure provides exposure to patients across the continuum of care and supports progressive development of clinical reasoning and advanced practice skills.
Training in multiple settings provides diverse exposure to patient populations, practice environments, and clinicians. These experiences foster adaptability, communication, and collaboration while helping residents build professional relationships with providers across disciplines and settings.
Clinical experiences are sequenced to align with the didactic curriculum, allowing residents to apply new knowledge and skills in meaningful clinical contexts.
Mentoring:
Residents are mentored by experienced program faculty at each clinical site and supported by the rehabilitation team. Mentors provide individualized guidance throughout the residency, with residents receiving a minimum of 220 hours of one-to-one mentorship. All program mentors have extensive experience treating individuals with neurologic conditions.
Learning Experiences:
In addition to the didactic curriculum and mentoring, residents also complete:
- Guided self-reflection activities
- Journal club discussions
- Interprofessional observation experiences with other health care providers throughout Corewell and external partner organizations
- Teaching experiences with DPT students at Grand Valley State University, with a focus on delivery of neurologic examination and intervention content
- Case reflection project
- Capstone project or presentation
Outcomes:
As of September 2026:
- Total number of program graduates: 0 (1 currently enrolled)
- Overall program graduation rate: NA
- Percentage of program graduates who pass ABPTS exam: NA
- The program monitors graduates’ ongoing professional development, performance on the ABPTS Neurologic Specialist Exam, and their career roles for up to five years.
ABPTRFE has granted Corewell Health West Neurologic Physical Therapy Residency Program candidacy status. Candidacy status signifies satisfactory progress toward accreditation. Achieving candidacy status is not an indication that ABPTRFE will grant initial accreditation. Participants who graduate from a program in candidacy status are not deemed to have completed an accredited program.
Curriculum
The didactic component of the curriculum uses AOPT’s Current Concepts of Orthopedic Physical Therapy, 5th edition, JOSPT Clinical Practice Guidelines, and select MedBridge knowledge tracks. The program provides the resident assistance in obtaining these resources at a discounted rate.
Clinical structure
Residents practice at two clinical sites concurrently throughout the entire residency year, creating a unique opportunity for professional growth and continuity of care. This structure allows residents to follow patients across the full rehabilitation continuum—from immediate post-operative care through return to sport and every phase in between. Residents gain experience managing both acute and chronic conditions across a wide age range, from adolescent athletes to older adults.
Working in two distinct clinical environments also provides exposure to diverse patient populations, varied practice settings, and multiple clinical teams. This fosters adaptability, strengthens collaborative skills, and enables residents to build lasting, meaningful relationships with healthcare providers across disciplines.
The didactic curriculum is strategically sequenced to progress from foundational concepts to advanced clinical integration. Clinical cases align with curriculum content, ensuring that residents continuously apply and reinforce knowledge while developing strong clinical reasoning skills in real-world contexts.
Mentoring
Residents receive a minimum of 200 hours dedicated to one-to-one mentoring with clinical faculty over the duration of the program with 150 of these hours conducted in a patient-care setting. All program mentors are board-certified orthopedic physical therapists who are strong clinical educations in addition to being content experts in their area of practice.
Learning experiences
In addition to the didactic curriculum and mentoring, residents also complete:
- Guided self-reflection activities
- Journal club activities
- Interprofessional experiences with other health care providers in both clinic and procedural settings
- Prepare, assist, and deliver orthopedic skill and technique presentation to entry-level DPT students in partnership with Grand Valley State University
- Opportunities to participate with community-based activities offered by Corewell Health
- Capstone project or presentation
Outcomes
As of September 2026:
- Total residents enrolled: 4
- Program graduates: 2
- Current residents in progress: 1
- Voluntary Withdrawals: 1
- Overall Program graduation rate: 67%
- Percentage of program graduates who pass ABPTS Exam: 100%
The program monitors graduates’ ongoing professional development, performance on the ABPTS Orthopedic Specialist Exam, and their career roles for up to five years.
Minimum Requirements:
- Graduate from a CAPTE-accredited physical therapy program.
- Licensed to practice physical therapy in Michigan by the program start date.
- Eligible for employment with Corewell Health.
- APTA member and specialty specific section member by the start date.
Application Requirements:
- Application form
- Professional resume or curriculum vitae
- Program specific essay
- Two letters of recommendation.
- New graduates must provide at least one letter from either a DPT program faculty member or clinical instructor.
- DPT program transcript if the applicant has not yet graduated at the time of application.
Applications Due:
- Neurologic Program: February 5
- Orthopedic Program: March 31
Applications open October 1 and are submitted through the Residency and Fellowship Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (RF-PTCAS).
Please reach out to the appropriate program coordinator with questions or additional assistance:
- Neurologic Residency Program
- Jodie Dixon, PT, DPT, NCS
- Jodie.Dixon@corewellhealth.org
- Orthopedic Residency Program and general inquiries
- David George, PT, MSPT
- David.George@corewellhealth.org
The Corewell Health West Michigan Orthopedic Physical Therapy Residency Program is accredited by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education as a post-professional residency program for physical therapists in orthopedics.