Advance Your Clinical Skills - Career

At Bay State Physical Therapy, we’re committed to empowering our team of Physical Therapists and Physical Therapist Assistants to continually build their clinical skills and knowledge. That’s why we’ve developed the Orthopedic Specialty Series (OSS), an innovative continuing education program designed to advance your clinical expertise. The program uses the Description of Specialty Practice (DSP) and Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) as a curriculum framework and provides flexible, hands-on, real-world learning opportunities.

What is the Orthopedic Specialty Series?

The OSS provides a unique foundation to enhance your clinical skills and is approved for continuing competency credits in MA, led by some of the country’s top instructors in physical therapy. It’s the perfect foundation for those looking to pursue an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist designation, but it’s also valuable for any Physical Therapist looking to broaden their expertise, develop clinical reasoning, and improve patient outcomes.

What Will You Gain from the Orthopedic Specialty Series?

Continuing Competency Credits: Approved for continuing competency credits in MA and authorized to provide CEUs for the states of MA, ME, NH, NY, and RI.
Accredited Coursework: Learn from industry-leading instructors who bring top-tier physical therapy knowledge and techniques. The OSS is taught by faculty instructors for accredited residency programs, who are Board certified Specialists in Orthopedics through ABPTS. You’ll also gain access to additional experts and specialists across the organization.
Confidence: Gain the confidence and clinical knowledge needed to thrive in diverse patient care situations.
A Strong Clinical Foundation: Broaden your clinical expertise, develop clinical reasoning, and improve patient outcomes. You’ll gain additional clinical efficiency, giving you more time and opportunity to provide the highest quality care to your patients.
A Strong Network of PT Peers: Connect with like-minded Physical Therapist peers, with ample opportunities to collaborate and learn from one another.

The Orthopedic Specialty Series Structure

The OSS consists of six comprehensive modules that combine didactic learning with hands-on, lab-based components. These modules are designed to deepen PTs understanding of orthopedic care, while improving their ability to apply it effectively in practice.

Each module offers virtual, self-paced didactic learning, followed by an interactive, hands-on lab experience. This is complemented by one-on-one mentoring, Special Interests Groups, and condition-specific guidance on evaluation and management.

Upper Extremity
Lower extremity
Cervical spine
Lumbar spine
Thoracic (elective)
Advanced Gait (elective)

Our OSS provides over 80 hours of continuing competency credits in MA for clinicians, providing valuable online and contextual learning.

What Sets Us Apart from a Traditional PT Residency Program?

Ongoing, Flexible Learning at Your Own Pace: You have the ability to complete modules at your own pace to align with your learning style and career goals – promoting independence while receiving expert guidance from course instructors. Although our coursework is accredited, the program is not, which allows us the autonomy to modify programs and offer more flexibility.
Career Growth Opportunities: The OSS fosters leadership development and professional advancement. The program is integrated with our Career Path Program and will give you the opportunity to advance along your career path, while giving you the tools and resources for an orthopedic specialization. You’ll have access to expert clinicians to collaborate with, on challenging patient cases. Plus, you will not take a reduction in pay while completing the OSS (unlike many traditional residency programs) and you will not need to pay for the course out-of-pocket. Completing the OSS is an important prerequisite for a promotion, which also includes an increase in compensation!
1:1 Mentorship: The OSS provides mentorship that is highly individualized based on your career path, interests, and abilities. Your mentor works with you to devise personalized goals.

Bay State Physical Therapy’s OSS	Residency Programs
Coursework Didactic and hands-on lab coursework Approved for continuing competency credits in MA, and authorized to provide CEUs for the states of MA, ME, NH, NY, and RI. Taught by instructors and who are Board Certified specialists in Orthopedics through ABPTS following the Description of Residency Practice (DRP) for Orthopedics Instructors are faculty for accredited residency programs No additional cost to you	Coursework Structured coursework accredited through the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE). Curriculum follows the DRP for Orthopedics
Program Length You will benefit from ongoing learning at your own pace. Your learning continues throughout your career path/journey.	Program Length The ABPTRFE residency standard is a minimum of 10 months & a max of 60 months. Many programs are 12 months, but some are longer.
Compensation/Program Fee You will have no reduction in pay, and if you progress along the career path and meet the required milestones, you will receive an increase in compensation. Learn more!	Compensation/Program Fee Most programs require reduced pay (average 75%) and a tuition fee. You may have to relocate.
OCS Exam You will require 2,000 hours to take the OCS. On average, this takes clinicians 1-1.5 years of clinical practice in an outpatient setting.	OCS Exam Graduates of accredited residency programs are eligible to apply/sit for a specialty exam. For example, the application deadline for the OCS is 7/31 (early bird) or 9/30 to sit for an exam the following March.
OCS Preparation Prep for OCS (a key piece of the OSS) includes: Weekly emails with OCS-type questions, focused on a specific OCS topic, beginning 6 months prior to the exam Journal resources including key articles related to the OCS DSP areas Access to Board Certified Orthopedic specialists at Bay State PT/MVPT for patient discussion and clinical questions Modules covering all critical areas of the DSP for Orthopedic Specialty	OCS Preparation The residency program is geared toward preparing clinicians in a specialty area for the specialty exam. Most programs utilize internal faculty to address all areas of the Description of Residency Practice (DSP).
Mentorship Mentoring is provided weekly as part of onboarding, then transitions to bi-weekly or monthly, depending on where you are in the career path. You will have ongoing availability of clinical experts to discuss complex cases.	Mentorship Structured Mentoring (150 hours)throughout the entirety of the residency program
Continuing Competency Credits Approved for continuing competency credits in MA, and authorized to provide CEUs for the states of MA, ME, NH, NY, and RI. Our program has the autonomy to modify and scale to accommodate all our clinicians in a growing, innovative health care company. All didactic and hands-on lab coursework provide continuing competency for licensure. You will benefit from a customized experience, depending on where you are in your professional development.	Continuing Competency Credits Accredited by ABPTRFE

Bay State Physical Therapy’s OSS
Coursework Didactic and hands-on lab coursework Approved for continuing competency credits in MA, and authorized to provide CEUs for the states of MA, ME, NH, NY, and RI. Taught by instructors and who are Board Certified specialists in Orthopedics through ABPTS following the Description of Residency Practice (DRP) for Orthopedics Instructors are faculty for accredited residency programs No additional cost to you	Program Length You will benefit from ongoing learning at your own pace. Your learning continues throughout your career path/journey.	Compensation/Program Fee You will have no reduction in pay, and if you progress along the career path and meet the required milestones, you will receive an increase in compensation. Learn more!	OCS Exam You will require 2,000 hours to take the OCS. On average, this takes clinicians 1-1.5 years of clinical practice in an outpatient setting.	OCS Preparation Prep for OCS (a key piece of the OSS) includes: Weekly emails with OCS-type questions, focused on a specific OCS topic, beginning 6 months prior to the exam Journal resources including key articles related to the OCS DSP areas Access to Board Certified Orthopedic specialists at Bay State PT/MVPT for patient discussion and clinical questions Modules covering all critical areas of the DSP for Orthopedic Specialty	Mentorship Structured mentoring is provided weekly as part of onboarding, then transitions to bi-weekly or monthly, depending on where you are in the career path. You will have ongoing availability of clinical experts to discuss complex cases.	Continuing Competency Credits Approved for continuing competency credits in MA, and authorized to provide CEUs for the states of MA, ME, NH, NY, and RI. Our program has the autonomy to modify and scale to accommodate all our clinicians in a growing, innovative health care company. All didactic and hands-on lab coursework provide continuing competency for licensure. You will benefit from a customized experience, depending on where you are in your professional development.
Residency Programs
Coursework Structured coursework accredited through the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE). Curriculum follows the DRP for Orthopedics	Program Length The ABPTRFE residency standard is a minimum of 10 months & a max of 60 months. Many programs are 12 months, but some are longer.	Compensation/Program Fee Most programs require reduced pay (average 75%) and a tuition fee. You may have to relocate.	OCS Exam Graduates of accredited residency programs are eligible to apply/sit for a specialty exam. For example, the application deadline for the OCS is 7/31 (early bird) or 9/30 to sit for an exam the following March.	OCS Preparation The residency program is geared toward preparing clinicians in a specialty area for the specialty exam. Most programs utilize internal faculty to address all areas of the Description of Residency Practice (DSP).	Mentorship Structured Mentoring (150 hours)throughout the entirety of the residency program	Continuing Competency Credits Accredited by ABPTRFE

Additional Benefits of the OSS – Guidance Sheets & Mentorship

In addition to the coursework offered by the OSS, clinicians also benefit from our OSS supplementary programs. These include OSS Guidance Sheets, a comprehensive Mentorship Program, and Special Interest Groups.

OSS Guidance Sheets for Physical Therapists: The OSS Guidance Sheets, developed by Board Certified Clinical Specialists, provide more resources on how to treat patients with especially complex issues – with a focus on current research. The reference materials include video tutorials, recommended exercises, and presentations for a variety of body regions. The goal is to connect this clinical guidance to our six modules, making the OSS a full library of coursework and materials for program participants.
Individualized Mentorship Program: Our Mentorship Program is highly personalized based on your individual career path, interests, abilities, and challenges. You and your mentor will work together to devise a plan and tangible goals. In addition to your on-site mentor, you will also have access to other physical therapy specialists in the organization.
Special Interest Groups: At Bay State Physical Therapy, we sponsor Special Interest Groups and Journal Clubs to facilitate development and exploration – building on what you learn in the OSS. By bringing together our team to discuss areas of interest, we all have the opportunity to learn from each other and explore the latest literature. Learn more about our SIGs Program.

Don’t take our word for it! Read what our physical therapists are saying.

David N.

We designed our OSS to provide support and a structured framework, integrating education (based on the Orthopedic Description of Specialty Practice) and clinical mentoring. This allows us to offer support for specialization to all of our clinicians across all sites, rather than the program that is only available to a small cohort each year.

Domenic S.

As a new grad, it can be challenging to adjust to a full schedule while also finding ways to improve your abilities as a clinician. I personally feel as though I am tremendously better at my job than I was when I first began practicing.

The OSS is easy to follow and highlights the assessment and clinical decision-making required to treat impairments commonly seen in an outpatient setting. The information blended seamlessly with clinical mentorship opportunities for new team members.

I really appreciate working for a company that values continuing education and strives to provide the most evidenced-based care.

Michael H.

My private practice partnered with Bay State Physical Therapy in 2024. One of the main reasons was their incredible Orthopedic Specialty Series (OSS). This OSS program end-result is to prepare you for the Orthopedic Certified Specialist (OCS); however, it is more than that. This program is evidence-based practice at its best! The two lead lecturers are Terry Pratt, PT, MS, OCS, FAAOMPT and David Nolan, PT, DPT, MS, OCS, SCS, CSCS. They are both world-class Physical Therapists, Professors, and Mentors. Their knowledge is second to none! They are able take complicated material and present it in a way that you can comfortably perform the evaluations, special tests, and treatment philosophies on your first patient Monday morning and have a positive outcome. As a new graduate or as an experienced therapist, this is a game changer for you and your patients. This OSS education will make you a better PT/OT/PTA/OTA and your patients will experience significantly better than benchmark functional outcomes! I highly recommend the OSS program, and my PTs teammates are working their way through this outstanding educational opportunity.

Advance Your Clinical Skills through the Orthopedic Specialty Series