Spotlighting Resident Excellence: Scholarship and Research Projects in Review

Residency Education is a planned program of post-professional clinical and didactic education that is designed to significantly advance the physical therapist's preparation as a provider of patient care services in a defined area of clinical practice. Advancement of research and translation of evidence into pediatric physical therapy (PT) practice is one of the goals of the APTA Pediatrics Strategic Plan as well as many of the 31 accredited pediatric residency programs nationwide. A recent multi-methods retrospective study revealed the top three goals areas across 26 pediatric residency programs included: clinical specialization (88%), teaching PT students or other professionals (81%), contribution to research (73%), There was significant variability in all goals in terms of performance – based outcome criteria. Variability in weighting the importance of program’s goal for research may include the program’s organization and mission, individual beliefs and experiences related to program leadership, and resource availability. The purpose of this session is to provide examples of how pediatric residency programs address residents’ readiness to contribute to the research process and showcase examples from four programs which require completion of a research related capstone project.

Exploring the Impact of Modified Ride-On Car Usage and Enjoyment on Power Mobility Learning (Kaitlyn Forsythe, PT, DPT)
Physical Fitness in Children and Adolescents After Kawasaki Disease: A Systematic Review (Kristen McCormick PT, DPT)
In-Hospital Exercise and Aerobic Capacity in a Pediatric Patient with Osteosarcoma: A Case Study (Victoria Catizone, PT, DPT)
Sensory Processing Patterns in Children with Prenatal Opioid Exposure (Ana Livecchi, PT, DPT)