Are you a physical therapist ready to lead in academia? Duke’s Faculty Development Residency prepares clinicians to become exceptional educators and academic leaders in DPT programs nationwide.
As one of only four programs accredited by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE)—and the first of its kind—our two-year residency offers unmatched training in didactic and clinical education, supported by the vast resources of Duke University Health System, the Duke School of Medicine, and partner institutions.
Program Highlights:
- Two-year commitment beginning each August
- Nationally recognized leadership in PT education
- Collaborative model with site partners who host and hire visiting faculty
- Residents teach on local campuses while engaging in Duke’s residency curriculum
- Access to expert mentorship and a network of residency faculty across institutions
Join a legacy of innovation and leadership in physical therapy education.
How to Apply
DPT Faculty Development Residency applications must be submitted through the Residency and Fellowship Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service (RF-PTCAS). If you have not yet created an account, you will be prompted to do so before accessing our application.
Learn more about the application process.
Key Dates
- Application opens: October, 2025
- Application deadline: January 1, 2026
- Program start: August 1, 2026
Financial Fact Sheets
View the Faculty Development Residency Financial Fact Sheets for the respective campuses:
Questions?
For more information about the application process, please contact Faculty Development Residency Director Dr. Kyle Covington.
- Participate in a competitive nationwide application pool that will matriculate candidates chosen based on their experiences, qualifications, and interests
- A Doctor of Physical Therapy degree
- Eligible for licensure in the state of North Carolina
- Minimum of four years of practice experience at the time of application
- Demonstrated experience in teaching physical therapy
- Two professional letters of recommendation submitted through RF-PTCAS
- A focused area of clinical experience, though not required, will be viewed favorably
- Eligible applicants will be invited for an interview
- New faculty residents will enter each year from July–August
- 24-month residency
- 0.8 FTE in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program
- A minimum of 30 hours per week of instructional preparation, classroom, and laboratory teaching, and student assessment
- 0.2 FTE in clinical practice with a local health system or private clinic is recommended
- Each resident will have regular mentoring sessions with the residency director(s), Initially once a week, progressing to twice a month.
- Twice monthly mentoring sessions with the DPT Faculty mentor.
- Identification of an external mentor with quarterly mentoring sessions.
- Regular mentoring sessions with other DPT faculty and residency partners at other campuses.
- 24 didactic modules covering classroom management, test writing, academic advising, higher education structure, educational assessment, accreditation, and team-based learning.
- Matriculated residents will be assigned to teach in focus areas of their interest, including but not limited to clinical education, musculoskeletal PT, neuromuscular PT, or other components of the standard DPT curriculum.
- One capstone educational project.
- Each resident will be assigned to manage didactic content in a focus area.
- Each resident will be assigned other didactic content as needed.
- Residents will regularly undergo 360-degree evaluations of their classroom management, teaching, and student assessment.
- Supervised teaching may be replaced by clinical education administration if a resident is interested in clinical education.
- Teaching and committee opportunities across the health system that focus on interprofessional education.
- American Physical Therapy Association conferences: Educational Leadership Conference, Combined Sections Meeting, Carolina Clinical Education Consortium Spring/Fall meetings.
- Medical Education Grand Rounds.
- Duke AHEAD events.
- Duke Teaching for Equity Fellowship.
Residency Outcomes
Duke University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunities without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.
The Duke Doctor of Physical Therapy Faculty Development Residency is accredited by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education
