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Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency

The Johns Hopkins Hospital and the George Washington University pediatric residency begins in the acute care environment and progresses to pediatric rehabilitation, school system and early intervention, and outpatient service delivery. The goal is to build a strong foundation and gain clinical experience within the pediatric continuum of care. Residents enjoy a personalized, didactic program and are expected to participate in scholarly activities. Upon successful completion, a resident will become a clinical expert capable of providing comprehensive, world-class physical therapy for pediatric patients. Program graduates will have the foundation to positively impact the field of pediatric physical therapy throughout their career.

Duration: 12.5 months
Accreditation: ABPTRFE Accredited
Apply through RF-PTCAS 
Application deadline: January 20, 2025
Admission decision: Early March
Program start: Mid-August
Prerequisites: applicant must be a graduate from an accredited physical therapy program (new graduates are accepted), hold a valid Maryland physical therapist license or be eligible to obtain one, hold a current CPR certification through the American Heart Association and be eligible to work in the United States without visa sponsorship by the PMR department.
Number of graduates: 10 graduates since 2016
Completion rate: 100%
Specialty exam pass rate: 100%
View program flyer | View financial fact sheet

 

Please click the pay application link to pay the supplementary application fee. Application will not be processed until the fee is received and application is complete. All fees are non-refundable.

This was the best decision of my career! It is a year of hard work, and more hard work, but most definitely it’s worth it. You will grow and be pushed to be the best clinician and one who is respected in your field. I was nervous about moving across the country to do a residency, but I would do it again!

Alex Parra, class of 2017

Program Features

  • One-on-one mentoring
  • Face-to-face academic teaching experience at the George Washington University in the spring semester
  • A variety of hospital-based multidisciplinary rounds and learning experiences
  • Active participation in a quality improvement project
  • Opportunity to participate in the APTA Combined Sections Meeting
  • Opportunity to participate in community service projects/camps and observe pertinent state and federal legal processes impacting the field of physical therapy

Program Completion Requirements

To successfully complete the residency, the resident must achieve/complete the following:

  • Live Patient Examinations
  • Residency Competency Evaluation Instrument
  • Written Examination
  • Skill Competency Testing
  • Program Evaluations
  • Patient Health Conditions Chart
  • Site Objectives
  • Professional Portfolio
  • Classroom and laboratory Instruction
  • Scholarly Activity
  • International Classification of Function forms
  • Residency and Fellowship Consortium Modules

Residency Program Director

Kerry Vela, PT, DPT, PCS

portrait of Kerry Vela

Program Coordinator

Alex Parra, PT, DPT, PCS
headshot of Alex Parra

Current Residents | Class of 2025

Alexandra Hultstrom, PT, DPT

She/her/hers

Undergraduate school: Furman University, bachelor's of science in health sciences
Graduate school: Duke University School of Medicine, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Woodstock, Georgia
Professional interests: pediatric cardiac care, developmental delay, NICU/PICU, medically complex infants, adaptive equipment
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I chose Johns Hopkins due to numerous of opportunities to work with medically complex infants and learn from expert mentors. Additionally, I wanted the ability to collaborate and participate in interdisciplinary care to improve patient outcomes. Finally, I chose this program due to the opportunity to participate in research and teaching opportunities at GWU.

Headshot of Alexandra Hultstrom

Jazmyn Watson, PT, DPT

She/her/hers

Undergraduate school: Ohio University, bachelor's of science in exercise physiology
Graduate school: Ohio University, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Sugar Grove, Ohio
Professional interests: cerebral palsy, genetic conditions, acute care, developmental delay, medically complex infants and children
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I chose Johns Hopkins for the opportunity to provide exceptional evidence-based care to patients with a variety of needs through the continuum of pediatric practice while having one-on-one mentoring. In addition to the clinical experiences, participating in an assortment of didactic experiences while teaching at George Washington University also drew me to this program. I am looking forward to working with the interdisciplinary team and learning from diverse perspectives to provide holistic and high-quality care to all patients.

Headshot of Jazmyn Watson

Program Alumni