Why Choose Us
Learn more about Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital, a destination for recovery for stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury and complex medical rehabilitation.
Good Shepherd Rehabilitation attracts accomplished, driven student and clinician applicants interested in advancing their careers in rehabilitation through a residency or fellowship.
Our collaborative environment fosters productive interaction among fellow trainees and residents, and graduates of our residency and fellowship programs are highly recruited for careers as rehabilitation leaders and clinicians.
Applications will re-open in Spring 2025.
Good Shepherd Rehabilitation’s Neurological Vision Rehabilitation Fellowship Program, which is accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association, provides an intensive, is 12-month experience. This occurs concurrently with clinical practice as a treating therapist in the outpatient and inpatient settings. The fellow will attend specialty conferences, monthly physician-led rounds, special interest groups, in-services and outside seminars. This fellowship program collaborates with Jeffrey Becker, OD, of the NeuroSensory Center of Eastern Pennsylvania.
Our program is designed to provide opportunities for clinical growth and development for fellows to become a clinically competent and well-rounded practitioner through experiential learning and collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team. This fellowship specialty area aims to provide an in-depth understanding of neurological vision deficits, an emerging area of practice with a growing body of evidence but narrowly addressed in clinical settings.
The program combines clinical mentoring, the opportunity for advanced clinical practice, didactic information and specialty learning.
Fellowship program goals will be achieved through a combination of formal and informal educational methods and roles:
Mentorship is a crucial element of developing advanced clinical skills. Good Shepherd has highly advanced clinical practitioners in the follow specialty areas:
The following are prerequisites for an individual to meet in order for them to enter the fellowship program:
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Neurological Vision Rehabilitation Fellowship Program
Good Shepherd Rehabilitation
850 S. 5th St.
Allentown, PA 18103
Fellows are paid for 40 hours a week of clinical, teaching and education time. Salaries are not yet set and are subject to change.
Each fellow is responsible for the purchase of personal textbooks, and additional supplies and educational material. Information on requirements will be given during orientation.
Good Shepherd is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by State or Federal law.
Program Overview
Good Shepherd Rehabilitation’s Neurologic Physical Therapy (PT) Residency is a well-established program that focuses on developing specialized clinicians within the area of neurologic rehabilitation across the continuum of care. Our 12-month program provides the opportunity for clinical advancement and professional growth to help participants quickly advance their career and become leaders within the field of neurologic physical therapy.
The curriculum includes didactic education by nationally recognized clinicians, clinical mentoring with a diverse group of experienced mentors, use of leading-edge technology, exposure to a wide variety of clinical settings and multiple opportunities for teaching, research and community partnership.
“The neurologic residency at Good Shepherd not only allowed me to gain insight from some amazing clinicians, but it truly helped change my practice for life, and for the better.”Former Neurologic Physical Therapy Resident
The Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Neurologic PT Residency program’s mission is to mentor and enhance the professional development and advanced clinical training of neurologic physical therapists. They will have extensive content knowledge and provide evidence-based, patient-centered interventions to achieve the best clinical outcomes.
Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network Neurological Residency is accredited by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education as a post professional residency program for physical therapists in neurological rehabilitation.
To be eligible for the program, you must:
Candidates with a passion for clinical excellence, strong interpersonal skills, and dedication to life-long learning are preferred.
Complete the online application process through the Residency and Fellowship Physical Therapy Central Application Service (RF-PTCAS). All applications will be reviewed by the selection committee and scheduled for an interview, either on-site or virtually at the discretion of the organization.
Good Shepherd Rehabilitation covers the cost of all annual fees, including enrollment in the NPTPE Neuroconsortium. The resident is required to cover all costs associated with traveling to the two four-day modules as part of the consortium, which is located in Los Angeles. This includes airfare, lodging, food and transportation.
Kelley Limbauan, PT, DPT, NCS | [email protected] or 610.776.3247
The Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network & Drexel University Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency Program is 13 months in length and participants must be hired as a Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network employee. Residents will be given a minimum of 150 hours of one-on-one mentor time within their typical clinical residency training schedule.
To learn more, contact Erika Carter, PT, DPT, PCS, program director of the Good Shepherd Drexel University Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency Program, at [email protected] or 610-807-4239.
You may also contact Brittany Dierwechter, PT, DPT, PCS, program coordinator of the Good Shepherd Drexel University Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency Program, at [email protected].
The primary training consists of three components that include didactic/psychomotor modules, clinical mentoring and supervision and directed independent learning activities. Success in the program is measured by both written and practical exams, as well as grading of other activities that are requirements within the program. Upon completion of the program, it is expected that the resident sits for the ABPTRFE Pediatric Clinical Specialist Board Certification examination within one year.
More information about the programs self-evaluation is available upon request from the GSDUPR Program Director.
The didactic/psychomotor modules are completed through various mediums including onsite and online, through distance learning. Dates and times are determined by the GSDUPR Program Director and faculty. Some content may require that weekend hours are scheduled for specialized training components or to make-up hours in the event of unexpected circumstances; residents will be provided with prior notice whenever possible.
The resident also participates in “directed learning activities” that consist of organized learning modules, independent study, scholarly projects, clinical rotations through other specialty areas and/or with health-care practitioners other than physical therapists, and professional activities related to practice management and physical therapy education.
The clinical component consists of two forms of clinical practice experiences. The first is 150 hours of 1:1 clinical mentoring with an experienced clinician. The second component is supervised and independent clinical practice hours in inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, early intervention and school-based physical therapy settings. In all clinical settings, the resident communicates with their mentor regarding clinical questions as needed.
A strength of the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network & Drexel University Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency Program is the collaboration between a rehabilitation network for clinical aspects of the program and a university for the didactic and research components of the program.
This collaboration provides significant opportunities for the residents that include:
The partnership offers:
Schedule is to be determined. It will change throughout the year as the residency setting changes (e.g., inpatient vs. outpatient).
CLINICAL SKILLS
DOCUMENTATION
TEAM EFFORT
Minimum Education Requirements: Bachelor’s degree or higher in Physical Therapy required.
Qualifications: Graduate of an accredited Physical Therapy program. Experience as a Physical Therapist is preferred, but not required. More information on the GSDU Pediatric Physical Therapy Program can be found in the Residency Participant Handbook.
License/Certification Requirements: Current licensure or eligibility for licensure to practice Physical Therapy in the state of Pennsylvania required. Valid CPR certification at time of hire or within first 90 days of employment required.
To apply to the Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency Program, contact Erika Carter, PT, DPT, PCS, at [email protected] or 610-807-4239.
You may also contact Brittany Dierwechter, PT, DPT, PCS, at [email protected].
Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by State or Federal law.
Graduation Rate: 75%
Specialty Exam Pass Rate: 100%