Milwaukee VA & UWM Physical Therapy Residency Programs
The University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee is affiliated with the Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center in offering two residency programs for post-professional career advancement. The one-year paid residency programs provide the opportunity to develop advanced skills and clinical reasoning under the guidance of expert clinicians. Residents also gain experience teaching as they work with students in UWM’s DPT program as a clinical laboratory instructor.
Current Residency Programs
- Orthopaedic Physical Therapy
- Neurologic Physical Therapy
Programmatic Highlights
- 1:1 in-person mentoring with expert clinicians
- 32 hours a week of Veteran clinical care
- 8 hours/week for didactic and off-site experiences
- Teaching and lab instruction opportunities at University of WI – Milwaukee
- In-service presentation opportunities to interdisciplinary audiences
- Paid one-year temporary appointment with optional health, eye, and dental insurance
- No program fees
- Paid sick and annual leave and observed federal holidays
Both the Neurologic and Orthopaedic PT Residency Programs are accredited by ABPTRFE. Program graduates are eligible to take the associated APTA certified clinical specialist exam (NCS or OCS examinations, respectively).
Interested applicants can apply for one of our residency programs through Residency and Fellowship – Physical Therapy Centralized Application System (RF-PTCAS).
Neurologic Program Mission
To prepare physical therapy residents for advanced specialty practice. The program cultivates high-level neurologic physical therapists who integrate the teacher-scholar model into their clinical practice. Through neurologic clinical experiences under the mentorship of master clinicians, along with didactic learning experiences in neurology including teaching, the program develops advanced physical therapy practitioners who care for the whole patient, embodying the spirit of cura personalis.
Milwaukee VAMC Neurologic PT Residency Program Website Link
Neurologic Residency Niche Experiences
- Three residents accepted annually
- Rotations through inpatient, outpatient, and spinal cord injury clinics
- Program developed didactic content
- Participation in interdisciplinary diagnosis-specific clinics
- Exposure and training on state-of-the-art clinical equipment and practice
- Neurologic Journal Club
Orthopaedic Program Mission
Cultivate orthopedic clinicians who will be challenged to achieve vast growth in professional development through mentorship, advanced clinical training, scholarly activities, didactic and teaching opportunities. Guiding these physical therapy residents into evidence-based expert clinicians who are leaders in the field of orthopedic physical therapy practice exemplifying VHA’s core ICARE values: Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect and Excellence.
Milwaukee VAMC Orthopaedic PT Residency Program Website Link
Orthopaedic Residency Niche Experiences
- One resident accepted annually
- Program developed didactic content and case studies
- Dry needling training/certification
- Temporomandibular dysfunction specialization training
- Hand Clinic and orthosis fabrication
- Host the PT Network Podcast
- Off-site pediatric experiences
