Hands-On Diagnostics
Primary Care PT Residency
A post-professional residency for licensed physical therapists preparing for advanced, independent practice in primary care settings.
Train for the Role Physical Therapists Are Already Stepping Into
Built on a Practice-Based Training Model, residents complete required clinical hours at their own practice sites while progressing through a structured, nationally aligned curriculum delivered through online coursework, live virtual sessions, and required in-person skills labs in Queens, New York.
The program offers two tracks: a 24-month Standard Track and a 12-month Accelerated Track. Both tracks include the same curriculum, same clinical hour requirement, and same residency outcomes.
The inaugural cohort begins September 1, 2026.
24-Month or
12-Month Track
Choose the Standard Track or Accelerated Track
1,500 Clinical Hours
ABPTRFE-required minimum clinical hour structure
Practice-Based
Training Model
Complete clinical hours at your own practice site
ABPTRFE Candidacy*
Aligned to the 2023 Primary Care DSP Taxonomy
*The HODs Primary Care PT Residency has achieved Candidacy for ABPTRFE accreditation.
Candidacy is a formal step toward full accreditation by ABPTRFE.
Why Primary Care PT Training Matters
Physical therapists are increasingly serving as the first clinical contact for patients in direct access settings.
That role requires more than musculoskeletal expertise. Primary care PTs must be prepared to screen across body systems, recognize medical complexity, manage uncertain presentations, coordinate care, and make appropriate referral decisions.
The HODs Primary Care PT Residency was built to provide that structure through practice-based clinical training, advanced coursework, mentorship, and required hands-on lab experiences.
Choose the Track That Fits Your Timeline
Both residency tracks deliver the same curriculum, require the same 1,500 clinical hours, include required MSKUS and EDX training, and lead to the same residency outcomes. The difference is pacing.
The 24-month Standard Track is recommended for most residents because it allows the curriculum to unfold at a more sustainable pace alongside full-time clinical practice. The 12-month Accelerated Track compresses the same residency into one year and is best suited for residents with strong time management skills, flexible schedules, and the ability to manage a significantly heavier workload.
Ready to Apply?
Download the fillable application form, complete it at your own pace, and email the completed PDF to [email protected].
Before submitting, review the track comparison, in-person event requirements, travel expectations, and workload differences between the 24-month Standard Track and 12-month Accelerated Track.
Track Comparison at a Glance
Both tracks include the same curriculum, clinical hour requirement, and residency outcomes. The difference is in pacing, workload, and optional supplemental opportunities.
| Program Feature | 24-Month Standard Track | 12-Month Accelerated Track |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 24 months | 12 months |
| Start Date | September 1, 2026 | September 1, 2026 |
| Clinical Hours | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| Didactic / Lab Hours | Approximately 504 total | Approximately 439 core plus required supplemental training |
| Average Combined Hours / Week | Approximately 19.3 hours/week | Approximately 37.3 hours/week |
| Required Onsite Weekends | 3 | 3, with compressed spacing |
| MSKUS Upper & Lower Extremity | Required | Required |
| EDX Stage I | Required | Required |
| CATs | 8 | 8 |
| QI Project | 1 project with 4 checkpoints | 1 project with 4 checkpoints |
| Capstone | Months 22–24 | Compressed into Month 12 |
| Best Suited For | Most residents seeking a sustainable pace with the full spiral model | Residents seeking faster completion who can manage a significantly heavier workload |
How the Practice-Based Training Model Works
The HODs Primary Care PT Residency uses a Practice-Based Training Model. Residents complete their 1,500 required clinical hours at their own clinical practice site while continuing full-time clinical work.
Didactic coursework is completed in addition to the resident’s clinical caseload, not in place of it. Content is delivered through a combination of asynchronous online modules, scheduled live virtual sessions, hybrid learning activities, and required in-person skills labs.
All in-person events take place at the program’s partner facility in Queens / Astoria, New York. Residents are responsible for their own travel and lodging.
Curriculum Built Around the 2023 Primary Care DSP Taxonomy
The curriculum is organized into 21 courses across six instructional blocks and aligned to the 2023 Primary Care Description of Specialty Practice taxonomy. The program uses a hybrid spiral model: foundational content is introduced early, then revisited at increasing depth as residents gain clinical experience.
This mirrors primary care PT practice, where clinicians continuously integrate knowledge across body systems rather than treating each topic in isolation.
Primary care PT scope, healthcare systems, documentation, policy, and telehealth.
Reasoning frameworks, evidence-based practice, differential diagnosis, and scholarship.
Anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, and clinical practice across major body systems.
Pain science, psychiatric conditions, health promotion, occupational health, and population health.
Ethics, communication, leadership, teaching, and quality improvement.
Capstone-level coursework requiring mastery across prior content areas.
Required Supplemental Training in MSKUS and EDX
In addition to the core residency curriculum, all residents complete required supplemental training in musculoskeletal ultrasound and electrodiagnosis through HODs partner organizations.
Residents complete Upper Extremity and Lower Extremity MSKUS modules through the American Academy of MSK Ultrasound (AAMU). These modules support clinical reasoning, scanning skill development, and the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound in patient management.
Residents complete EDX Stage I through the American Academy of Clinical Electrodiagnosis (AACE). This training introduces nerve conduction studies and needle EMG fundamentals within a primary care PT framework.
Required In-Person Events
Residents attend scheduled in-person weekends and lab intensives throughout the program. These events support hands-on competency development in examination, systems screening, electrodiagnosis, musculoskeletal ultrasound, peer teaching, and final competency sign-offs.
| Event | Dates | Month | Format | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onsite Weekend 1 | Jan. 30–31, 2027 | Month 5 | Sat full day + Sun half day | MSK / Neuro / CV-Pulm exam labs |
| MSKUS Module 2A — Upper Extremity In collaboration with AAMU |
Apr. 9–10, 2027 | Month 8 | Fri–Sat | Required upper extremity scanning |
| EDX Stage I Lab In collaboration with AACE |
Jun. 4–6, 2027 | Month 10 | Fri–Sun | Required NCS/EMG live lab |
| Onsite Weekend 2 | Aug. 29–30, 2027 | Month 12 | Sat full day + Sun half day | GI/GU/Integumentary/Vestibular/Balance labs |
| MSKUS Module 2B — Lower Extremity In collaboration with AAMU |
Nov. 12–13, 2027 | Month 15 | Thu–Fri | Required lower extremity scanning |
| Onsite Weekend 3 | Apr. 1–2, 2028 | Month 20 | Sat full day + Sun half day | Final competency sign-offs / peer teaching — provisional |
Note: Onsite Weekend 3 dates are provisional pencil-in targets pending confirmation with AAMU/AACE and the Queens facility for the 2028 calendar. Travel and lodging for all in-person events are the resident’s responsibility; the program does not provide travel reimbursement.
| Event | Dates | Month | Format | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Onsite Weekend 1 | Oct. 24–25, 2026 | Month 2 | Sat full day + Sun half day | Introductory MSK / Neuro / CV-Pulm exam labs |
| EDX Stage I Lab In collaboration with AACE |
Jan. 8–10, 2027 | Month 5 | Fri–Sun | Required NCS/EMG live lab |
| Onsite Weekend 2 | Feb. 13–14, 2027 | Month 6 | Sat full day + Sun half day | Consolidated GI/GU/Integumentary/Vestibular/Balance labs |
| MSKUS Module 2A — Upper Extremity In collaboration with AAMU |
Apr. 9–10, 2027 | Month 8 | Fri–Sat | Required upper extremity scanning |
| MSKUS Module 2B — Lower Extremity In collaboration with AAMU |
Jul. 16–17, 2027 | Month 11 | Thu–Fri | Required lower extremity scanning |
| Onsite Weekend 3 + Capstone | Aug. 13–15, 2027 | Month 12 | Fri–Sun | Final sign-offs, peer teaching, and capstone presentations |
Note: Onsite Weekend dates are provisional pending facility confirmation. EDX and MSKUS dates reflect confirmed 2027 AAMU/AACE offerings. Travel and lodging are the resident’s responsibility.
Travel and lodging for all in-person events are the resident’s responsibility. Onsite Weekend dates marked as provisional are pending confirmation with AAMU/AACE and the Queens facility.
Designed for PTs Practicing at the Front Door of Healthcare
This residency is designed for licensed physical therapists who want to manage the full range of conditions seen in primary care settings — not only orthopedic injuries.
PT students may inquire, but applicants must graduate and become licensed physical therapists before acceptance.
Completed applications may be emailed to [email protected].
You may be a strong fit if you:
What Residents Complete
Beyond coursework and clinical hours, residents complete recurring scholarly and clinical deliverables designed to document competency across the Primary Care DSP domains.
Residents develop clinical questions from their own caseload, appraise relevant literature, and present findings to the cohort.
Residents bring complex cases from their own practice for faculty-guided discussion and cohort learning.
Each resident completes one QI project with formal checkpoints from proposal through final submission.
Residents participate in literature application sessions focused on current research relevant to primary care PT.
Residents maintain continuous case logs across body systems and DSP domains, reviewed regularly with their mentor.
Each resident presents a complex case demonstrating mastery across multiple DSP domains.
Residents assemble a final portfolio documenting competency, reflection, and evidence of progression.
Frequently Asked Questions
The residency is offered in two tracks: a 24-month Standard Track and a 12-month Accelerated Track. Both tracks include the same curriculum, the same 1,500 clinical hour requirement, and the same residency outcomes.
The 24-month Standard Track is recommended for most residents because it provides a more sustainable pace alongside full-time clinical practice. The 12-month Accelerated Track is intended for residents who want or need faster completion and can manage a significantly heavier workload.
Yes. Both tracks begin September 1, 2026.
No. The residency follows a cohort-based structure with scheduled coursework, live virtual sessions, required in-person labs, and track-specific timelines.
In-person events are held at the program’s partner facility in Queens / Astoria, New York.
HODs facility: 32-44 31st St, Astoria, NY 11106 (Hands-On Diagnostics).
No. Residents are responsible for their own travel and lodging for all in-person events.
Yes. Both tracks include required MSKUS Upper Extremity, MSKUS Lower Extremity, and EDX Stage I training.
The program has achieved ABPTRFE Candidacy status and is aligned to the 2023 Primary Care DSP Taxonomy.
No. The residency is highly relevant for PTs in rural and underserved communities, but it is also designed for clinicians in direct access, private practice, hospital, occupational health, urgent care, community health, and other settings where PTs manage complex or first-contact patients.
Download the fillable PDF application form, complete it at your own pace, and email the completed form to [email protected]. Applicants should review the program tracks, in-person event requirements, travel expectations, and workload differences before submitting.
PT students may inquire and prepare for future enrollment, but applicants must graduate and become licensed physical therapists before acceptance.
The program is led by Korry Wheeler, PT, DPT, ECS, D-EDX, Program Director. Dr. Wheeler has more than 20 years of clinical PT experience, including over a decade practicing in Star Valley, Wyoming, a rural and medically underserved region where he functioned as a first-contact clinician.
Tuition & Special Founding Cohort Pricing
The all-inclusive Residency Program tuition is $45,000, with multiple flexible payment plans available.
Special Inaugural Founding Cohort Pricing
✅ Founding Cohort Discount – 20% Off
$36,000 total tuition
Save $9,000
✅ Exclusive Founding HODS Member Pricing
$24,000 total tuition
Only $2,000 per month for 12 months
Save $21,000 off standard tuition
These special introductory rates are available only to members of the inaugural residency cohort and are subject to program enrollment limits.
Have Questions or Ready to Apply?
Speak with the program team or download the fillable application form to begin the process.
