Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a typical training week?
Click here for an overview of your typical clinical and academic schedule at Kaiser Hayward.
2. What is the difference between the Mentorship and Fellowship curriculum content?
The Mentorship focuses on detailed manual therapy examination and treatment of the spine, shoulder and knee complexes. You will also learn how to integrate exercise and self-mobilization interventions. You will leave the program with a solid clinical reasoning framework. You will be able to apply examination and treatment concepts to a broad range of musculoskeletal dysfunctions, well beyond the spine, shoulder and knee complexes.
During the Fellowship, you will learn advanced manual therapy techniques for the spine and all peripheral joints. You will learn all grades of passive movement. The fellowship focuses on examination and treatment of the complex patient. You will attain greater refinement in combining exercise, self-mobilization and ergonomic concepts with your manual therapy interventions.
The Fellowship program is faster paced than the Mentorship and focuses on the more advanced manual therapy clinical reasoning and treatment techniques. The program is designed for individuals who strive to become senior therapists, clinical specialists, consultants, and/or instructors in manual therapy.
3. Can I go directly into the 6-month Fellowship program if I already have experience in manual therapy?
Graduation from the Mentorship is required for entrance into the Fellowship because the content of both programs is interlinked. If you are already experienced in manual therapy, we are able to develop a manual therapy program tailored to your needs because of the intense 1:1 mentoring that you will receive. In any given class, we may have young clinicians and academic faculty members. We have years of experience mentoring clinicians with varying backgrounds and experience
4. When do I have to make a decision about applying for the 6-month Fellowship?
Some applicants know up front that they want to attend the entire program. Others do not decide until after they have finished the Mentorship. Please feel free to contact the program director to discuss your career plans and which program might fit your goals.
5. What kind of housing options are available in the Bay Area?
Most residents rent a room in a home with access to the kitchen and other living areas. Renting studios and apartments for the time period that you are at Kaiser can be quite expensive unless you are coming with a spouse or significant other. We have recommendations of individuals who have rented to individuals in the past. We can also recommend locations for easy access on freeways. A good site for locating housing is craigslist.com.
6. May I come to visit the program?
We strongly encourage applicants to visit the program to observe class and/or supervision. The more you know about our program the better you can determine whether it is a good ‘fit’ for you. Visiting the program is not required.
7. How do I reach program director, alumni and current residents to discuss the program?
Email or call the program director to set up a time to talk with her about any questions you might have regarding the program: caroljo.tichenor@kp.org or contact us. The program director will answer your questions about the program and discuss how to make your application competitive. She will also give you phone numbers and/or emails for alumni in different parts of the country and for current participants in the program.
8. What is the difference between the ‘6-month Fellowship’ and the overall program name, PT Fellowship in Advanced Orthopedic Manual Therapy?
Many years ago we named our 6-month program a ‘Fellowship’ in manual therapy. When the APTA set up the residency credentialing process a new designation “Fellowship in Manual Therapy” was established for subspecialty areas. We then changed our program name to coincide with the APTA terminology. We are officially the PT Fellowship in Advanced Orthopedic Manual Therapy. To become a graduate of an APTA Credentialed Fellowship, you must complete all parts of our program, e.g. independent study portions, 3-month Mentorship and 6-month Fellowship.
9. Why seek Manual Therapy Certification?
The certification process tells your colleagues and employer that you have achieved an established clinical and academic standard through clinical projects and formalized exams. Certification does not imply competency. Many therapists across the country take continuing education courses -- certification sets you apart as an individual who is committed to excellence.
10. How does the Kaiser Hayward certification compare with other manual therapy certifications in the U.S.?
Currently there are no national standards for manual therapy certifications. Each is very different in expectations and standards. Completing a certification demonstrates that you have been evaluated or tested according to a standard of performance established by the program. It definitely bears more weight than a certificate of completion.
You will need to evaluate the advantages of a certification based on the part of the country where you are employed. In some areas, the APTA clinical specialist certification would be more important to achieve.