Yale New Haven Hospital’s Acute Care Physical Therapy Residency Program is accredited as a candidacy program by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE ) for post-professional education for physical therapists in the acute care setting.
This candidacy program is 52-weeks in length and is committed to enhancing the post-professional education and development of the expert clinician.
The mission of the Yale New Haven Hospital’s Acute Care Physical Therapy Residency Program is to prepare clinicians who are committed to serving their local and global communities. Through unique clinical experiences as well as academic and professional opportunities, residents will demonstrate advanced clinical development in the acute care setting. This is done through evaluation, diagnosis and management of complex adult patients across the lifespan using evidenced-based innovations, practices and critical thinking.
Curriculum and Program Features
Clinical rotations on all acute care services including:
- Cardiac
- Emergency Department
- Medicine
- Neurology
- Oncology
- Surgery
- Trauma
Unique learning opportunities including:
- Burn unit exposure and education delivery
- Exposure to an orthopedic ambulatory surgical center
- ICU level clinical care across multiple service lines
- Multidisciplinary clinic and support group exposure
- Multidisciplinary team education opportunities
- Mentored teaching opportunities
Learn more about Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale New Haven Health .
Requirements for success:
- Achieve a passing score on all residency assessments and evaluations
- Complete 150 hours of one-on-one mentoring
- Complete 300 hours of combined didactic education, research/qualitive improvement work and teaching
- Complete a minimum of 1,500 clinical care hours
Week in the Life of a Physical Therapy Resident:
- 30-34 hours of direct patient care per week
- Research and quality improvement activities
- Mentored teaching opportunities
- Monthly journal clubs with other acute care residents on a national level
- 2-4 hours of one-on-one mentoring per week
- 5-8 hours of didactic curriculum delivery per week with self-study opportunities
Admission Information
| Duration |
12 months
|
| Accreditation |
apply for ABPTRFE Candidacy Status – Definitive Status May 2025 |
| Application deadline |
Feb. 14, 2025 |
| Interview window |
Early-Mid March 2025 |
| Interview decision date |
End of March 2025 |
| Program start date |
August/September 2025 |
Number of graduates
|
N/A |
Completion rate
|
N/A |
| First-time specialty examination pass rate |
N/A |
Prerequisites
- Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited physical therapy program with acute care exposure preferred
- Applicants must hold a valid Connecticut Physical Therapist License or be eligible to obtain one. Residents must have a Connecticut Physical Therapy License prior to the start of residency (must have taken the NPTE by July exam date)
- Applicants must hold a current CPR Certification through the American Heart Association
- Applicants must be an active American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) member
Application requirements
- Pay supplementary application fee
- Application will not be processed until the fee is received. All fees are non-refundable.
- Apply at Yale New Haven Hospital Jobs
- Additional application requirements
- Curriculum Vitae
- Letter of Intent with Career Statement
- 3 Letters of Recommendation
View Financial Fact Sheet 
Residency Faculty
Elena Bochicchio, PT, DPT, MBA
Program Director
Rehabilitation Professional Development & Outcomes Leader
Elena is a physical therapist with 10 years of experience in the acute care setting at Yale New Haven Hospital. After graduating with her DPT in Physical Therapy from Quinnipiac University, Elena moved up the career ladder at Yale New Haven Hospital, specializing in pediatric practice and adult cystic fibrosis care.
Elena has extensive experience in clinical education. She served as a Level II Credentialed Clinical Instructor and Site Coordinator of Clinical Education for Yale New Haven Hospital – York Street Campus.
More recently, Elena received her MBA in Healthcare Management from Quinnipiac University. In her current role, Elena strives to elevate evidence-based clinical practice amongst her PT, OT and SLP colleagues, while driving value through outcomes, data and consistency in patient-centered care. Elena is also a part-time faculty member at Quinnipiac University.
Paul Bernier, PT, MSPT
Program Coordinator
With over 24 years of comprehensive rehabilitative clinical experience at YNHH, Paul has served patients as a Level 3 Physical Therapist on the Trauma/Emergency General Surgery service line, including SICU. As a longstanding APTA and Academy of Acute Care member, he has uses evidence-based practice to improve patient outcomes.
Paul has vast experience in clinical education, serving as a CI and SCCE. For over a decade, he served as an Adjunct Faculty Tutorial Leader at Sacred Heart University’s Program in Physical Therapy. He assisted PT students to integrate course material into clinical experience.
More recently Paul has been serving in a leadership role as YSC Supervisor in the Department of Physical Therapy. Paul mentors staff in daily clinical issues, oversees departmental operations and coaches staff in leading the Career Ladder Process.
Megan Chirby, PT, DPT, MA
Curriculum Coordinator
Megan is a physical therapist with 6 years of experience working in the acute care setting. After completing her DPT at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Megan worked at the University of Illinois Hospital. She primarily cared for patients who were critically ill in the neurosurgical, medical and surgical intensive care unit settings. She has robust training in management of vestibular disorders.
Megan has extensive experience in education, teaching in Chicago Public Schools from 2008-2015, and completing an M.A. in teaching in 2010. Her enthusiasm for teaching and learning is an important part of her PT practice, providing formal mentorship and clinical instruction to DPT students each year.
