Frequently Asked Questions About the IAOM-US Fellowship Program

Q: I have been attending IAOM courses for many years. Will they qualify for fellowship or ScD credits?
A: Lab portions of the Doctorate program (IAOM 3-day courses) and IAOM certifications are valid as long as they are taken within 7 years from your first class in the ScD program.

Q: When do I apply for the Fellowship Program?
A: The application deadline for the fellowship program is December 1.

Q: Once I apply to the ScD program, what happens?
A: Upon receipt of the application and supporting documentation (ie: college transcripts, etc), the ScD program admission committee will review your application and let you know if you are accepted into the Doctorate program. From there you will proceed to complete the prerequisite coursework for the Fellowship Program.

Q: Who does admit me in the IAOM-US Fellowship Program?
A. The Fellowship Program committee will review your application, make an acceptance decision and advise you on the next steps towards completing the Fellowship Program requirements.

Q: The thought of completing the Doctorate of Science (ScD) program overwhelms me. Can I enter the fellowship program without entering the ScD program?
A: Yes. You do not need to be admitted into the ScD at TTUHSC to apply to the IAOM-US Fellowship program. However, once admitted in the Fellowship program, you will need to apply and enroll in the Graduate school of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) and in the ScD program.However, graduation from the ScD Program at TTUHSC is not a requisite for completion of the IAOM-US Fellowship Program. Many of the fellowship candidates who complete the program will wish to continue to serve as mentors to future fellowship candidates. With this in mind, the IAOM-US requires completion of the ScD Program at TTUHSC for its mentors, as this will be a requisite for all IAOM Fellowship Program clinical mentors in the future.

Q: Where are the mentors' clinical sites located?
A: The 2-week (65 hour), one-on-one intensive clinical experience is currently available in Anchorage, Alaska, the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Lubbock, Texas.More locations and fellowship trained mentors will be available in the near future.

Q: Once accepted in the IAOM-US Fellowship Program, how do I apply to the ScD Program at TTUHSC?
A: The application documents for the ScD Program are available online at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center http://www.ttuhsc.edu/sah/admissions/application.aspx. Click on "TTUHSC Online Application", and follow the instructions. Application deadline for the ScD Program is March 15. You will need a social security number to proceed with the ScD application. If you do not have a social security number, e-mail the admission's office at AdmissionsAlliedHealth@ttuhsc.edu and they will provide a number for you. If you have difficulties, contact Lindsay Johnson from the office of Admissions of the School of Allied Sciences at TTUHSC at Lindsay.johnson@ttuhsc.edu.

Q: How do I know I submitted the appropriate documents in my application to the Fellowship Program?
A: Upon revision of your application, if your application is incomplete, the IAOM-US administrative office will send you a notice of incomplete application by December 15th. The deadline for you to resubmit the completed application with the necessary documents is December 31st.

Q: How do I know I have been accepted into the fellowship program of the IAOM-US?
A: You will be notified by the IAOM-US administrative office of your acceptance into the fellowship program by January 15. It is your responsibility to contact the IAOM-US administrative office between January 15 and May 1st for arrangements regarding dates, location and mentor for your fellowship training.

Q: When am I notified of where and when my fellowship training will take place and of who will be my fellowship mentor?
The IAOM-US will send you information about location, dates of one-on-one fellowship training, time of IAOM-US website coverage and schedule for Web-CT discussions required for the fellowship training by May 15. You will also receive at that time your fellowship handbook that you will need to use and take to your one-on-one training with the mentor. This will allow the mentor to check your skills and evaluate your competencies.

Q: Once I know where and which semester my fellowship training will take place, how do I set up the weeks of my one-on-one training?
A: It is your responsibility to contact your fellowship mentor at least two months prior to the beginning of the semester of the fellowship training to arrange time for your fellowship one-on-one training (for Spring fellowship, contact mentor before November 31st , for Summer fellowship contact mentor before March 31st and Fall fellowship, contact mentor before June 30).

Q: Once accepted into the Fellowship program, what is expected of me?
You need to apply and enroll in the ScD program at TexasTech University Health Sciences Center by March 15. You will then be allowed between 11 and 36 months to complete the following requirements of the Fellowship Program:

  1. Successful completion of AHPT 6213 and 6214, which comprise the clinical rotation components of the Fellowship (305 Fellowship Program hours each for a total of 610 hours).

    • Each clinical rotation includes:
        a. A 65-hour, 1-on-1, intensive clinical experience at the mentor's clinical site (conducted over 2 successive weeks at the mentor's clinical site).

        b. A 240-hour distance clinical experience with ongoing mentor contact through on site contact or web-based technology in the 6213 and 6214 courses (conducted over the remaining 14 to maximum 50 weeks in the semester(s) at the fellowship candidate's clinical site).

        c. Certification in Orthopedic Manual Therapy for at least 9 IAOM-US courses and attendance to all 12 IAOM-US courses is required before starting the second fellowship clinical rotation. A minimum spacing of 1 semester will be required between these two Fellowship clinical rotations. As a consequence, the candidate will be required to practice skills and reflect on the first course experience (6213) prior to engaging in the second experience (6214)
  2. Successful completion of AHPT 6304: Orthopaedic Physical Therapy Screening (60 fellowship Program hours). This course enhances physical therapists' knowledge and clinical skills designed to assist in the screening of patients for orthopaedic conditions, which require examination by a physician. This course includes 24 laboratory and lecture contact hours over a 3-day contact session at the TTUHSC site and 36 web-based contact hours at the candidate's clinical site. In the course the candidates engage in selected readings, and threaded discussions on the web.
  3. Successful completion of AHPT 6317: Radiological Anatomy (45 fellowship Program hours). This course will examine the technology and applications of imaging for understanding normal and pathological human anatomy. Plain-film imaging, MRI, CT, and diagnostic ultrasound will be appropriately applied to this discussion. A systematic approach to understanding various images across different joint systems will be provided. In addition, specific normal and pathological anatomy for the spine and extremities will be viewed on x-ray, MRI, and CT, along with special topics in diagnostic ultrasound. Emphasis is placed on defining normal and pathological anatomy associated with various joints systems as it relates to musculoskeletal conditions. This course includes 16 laboratory and lecture contact hours over a 2-day contact session at the TTUHSC site and 29 web-based contact hours at the candidate's clinical site. In the course the candidates engage in selected readings, and threaded discussions on the web.

  4. Successful completion of AHPT 7305: Curriculum Design and Teaching in Allied Health (45 Fellowship Program hours). This course includes 16 laboratory and lecture contact hours over a two-day contact session at the TTUHSC site and 32 web-based contact hours at the candidate's clinical site. In the course the candidates are exposed to theories, principles and applications that relate to teaching Physical Therapy students and professionals. The candidates engage in selected readings, writing exercises, and threaded discussions on the web. The candidates are required to draft curriculum components for a topic of his or her choice, including objectives, learning experiences, and lab experiences. Finally, the candidates are asked to teach over a pre-selected content area, where they evaluated in their teaching skills.

  5. Successful completion of six IAOM-US courses that were not part of the pre-requisites for acceptance in the IAOM-US fellowship program, including successful completion of IAOM-US certifications for these six courses (160 hours)

  6. Successful completion of Fellowship Written Examinations 1 and 2. (40 Fellowship Program hours each for a total of 80 hours). IAOM-US website coverage with mentor supervision.

  7. Successful completion of 6 patient practical examinations. (4 Fellowship Program hours each for a total of 24 hours). These examinations are conducted during the 1-on-1, intensive clinical experiences in AHPT 6213 and 6214.

  8. Successful completion of 4 peer-reviewed clinical commentaries. (15 Fellowship Program hours each for a total of 60 hours).

  9. Successful completion and submission of a case study to a peer-reviewed journal. (125 Fellowship Program hours). The case study is completed from the candidate's clinical site. After completion, the candidate submits a manuscript to a peer reviewed journal for publication.

Q: What else am I responsible for when I am accepted in the fellowship program?
A: You will be responsible to work on skills required in the fellowship manual, be present for the Web-CT mentored online sessions and you will be responsible to submit a fellowship checklist and fellowship manual completed to the Coordinator of Clinical Education at the end of both fellowship rotations for review.

Q: Is there a limit of time to complete the fellowship program?
A: Yes. Once accepted in the fellowship program, you have a minimum of 11 months and a maximum of three years to complete it. This is a requirement from the APTA and AAOMPT.

Q. Does the IAOM-US bestow the status of Fellow upon successful completion of the fellowship program?
A. No. Upon successful completion of the IAOM-US fellowship program, you will have fulfilled all of the requirements to be a Fellow candidate. You would then simply apply for membership to the American Academyof Orthopedic Manual Therapists (AAOMPT), and your certification through the IAOM Fellowship program means that you will be awarded Fellowship status in this APTA-recognized specialty association.In summary, the IAOM-US educates you, and the AAOMPT grants you the status of Fellow ("FAAOMPT"), which is the only qualification recognized by the APTA in Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy in the US.