Residency/Fellowship and Certifications

[PT Dad]

Has any research been done on whether residency and/or fellowship trained PTs or those with an APTA certification are more highly compensated in the job market?

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[topher031888]

I don't know about any specific data but it is widely accepted that they do not, at least not simply because a PT has completed a residency or fellowship (I do know of one hospital system in my home state that gives PTs a slight bump for getting specialty certification). The reason being that reimbursement is the same for everyone, new grads, residents, fellows, the PT with 20 years of experience, etc. That is why you have so many companies that pay pennies because they really don't care if they don't have any experienced clinical staff, they all get reimbursed at the same rate.

That isn't to say that residency or fellowship doesn't have its upsides. It can make you more marketable in certain settings and markets, making getting a great job in a saturated area possibly more attainable. Also, in my residency I received a lot of training on understanding billing, insurance, efficiency, establishing good work flows, etc. This has allowed me to bring more value to my current job, allowing me to negotiate a higher salary, but I wouldn't say it was because of the fact I completed a residency, its more that it led to some tangible improvements.

However, the truth is that residency or fellowships don't make financial sense for most PTs. I did it because it was something I enjoyed and I had the flexibility in my budget. I am mentoring a student currently who will have $250,000 in debt by the time he finishes and I would probably not recommend one for him based on that fact alone.

 

[mrPTehee]

In the private outpatient ortho PT clinic, it would not matter much to an employer if you are residency/fellowship trained, in my opinion. In my experience, and I will emphasize this, in my experience, it's preferred to have patients return to the clinic rather than having a quick discharge after 2, 3, or 4 sessions. That being said, again in my experience, private clinics almost prefer new grad who takes 30 sessions to get someone better compared to a fellowship trained PT who can get that same person better in 6 sessions. I am very biased towards this topic and I understand that this does not hold true for all private outpatient clinics.

 

[topher031888]

In the private outpatient ortho PT clinic, it would not matter much to an employer if you are residency/fellowship trained, in my opinion. In my experience, and I will emphasize this, in my experience, it's preferred to have patients return to the clinic rather than having a quick discharge after 2, 3, or 4 sessions. That being said, again in my experience, private clinics almost prefer new grad who takes 30 sessions to get someone better compared to a fellowship trained PT who can get that same person better in 6 sessions. I am very biased towards this topic and I understand that this does not hold true for all private outpatient clinics.

I work in the rare private practice that does value residency and fellowship training, thank goodness. I did receive a small raise when I completed my residency and if I stay with them I will get all the tuition money back within two years. That being said, what you are saying certainly is very true in a lot of circumstances. It is hard for private outpatient clinics, reimbursement if minimal compared to a hospital system which just further incentivizes the kind of practices you mentioned above. When and if we ever fully transition to outcomes/quality based reimbursement rates these practices will likely struggle to adapt or attract better talent. I am enjoying private practice but I am not sure how much longer private practice is even going to be a thing for.