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Balance Physical Therapy and Human Performance Center’s orthopedic physical therapy residency program will provide an excellent up to date evidence-based education that guides the orthopedic residents to understand, distill, synthesize, and apply didactic education and peer-reviewed literature so that their clinical practice efficiently delivers the best functional outcomes possible to the patients they serve. The program will complete continuous improvement through curriculum review and update in addition to maintaining the highest level of clinical opportunities for the residents.
Dr. Joey Melo, PT, DPT (Residency Director)
Dr. Arash Maslehati, PT, DPT, OCS
Dr. Kristine Jespersen, PT, DPT, OCS
Dr. Stephanie Kolander, PT, DPT OCS
Dr. John Farahmand, PT, DPT, OCS
Dr. Miguel Vargas, PT, DPT
Located on the picturesque Central Coast of California, Balance Physical Therapy has seven locations in South Salinas, Salinas (Creekbridge), Monterey (North Fremont St.), Monterey (Ryan Ranch), Marina, Prunedale, and Watsonville.
The Central Coast has so much to offer during your year long residency including outstanding weather, endless outdoor activities (hiking, cycling, surfing, kayaking), wineries, and world renowned golf courses. After one year, you’ll have a hard time leaving and we hope you won’t!
The Balance Physical Therapy Orthopedic Residency Curriculum is an integrative model developed to support the development of excellence in orthopedic clinical practice.
Ensuring residents have depth in examination, evaluation, and interventions is at the forefront of the program, in addition to supporting the optimal professional development of each and everyone of our residents.
An integrative model of didactic and self-directed study will be utilized to develop specialist level orthopedic providers ready to excel on the orthopedic specialty exam.
Self directed coursework will include Independent Study Courses from the Academy of Orthopedic Physical Therapy and Clinical Practice Guideline publications to ensure depth in clinical reasoning and up-to-date evidence based practice.
Supplemental didactic experiences will occur throughout the residency program to provide a vast experience and promote learning through different methods.
The following is the orthopedic core curriculum schedule for our 2024-2025 class:
Residents will have a primary clinical mentor and a rotation of other clinical faculty members weekly to ensure a well rounded mentorship experience.
Clinical Mentors will be in the same facility as residents to support all aspects of patient client management and assist integration of didactic/mentorship material into resident’s independent caseload.
Monthly program mentorship meetings will occur with Residency Director to ensure resident is on pace for all requirements to be successfully completed prior to end of residency.
To qualify for the Balance Physical Therapy Orthopedic Residency, you must be a graduate of an APTA-accredited program in physical therapy and eligible for licensure as a physical therapist in California.
In residency candidates, we are looking for someone that has high emotional intelligence, passion for challenges, and strong communicative skills. We require:
The 2025-2026 application period dates: 2/1/25-8/31/25
Our residency application and selection process is rolling admissions. Following application submission by candidates through RFPTCAS, candidates application will be reviewed for interview consideration. Candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted by our Residency Director
Residents receive a full benefits package (medical, dental, vision, 401K, PTO) and are paid a competitive annual salary with regional residency programs.
No tuition or residency program fees.
Residents receive residency coursework (4 independent study courses from AOPT) and APTA/orthopedic section membership.
For more information please send an email to admin@balancept.com with subject “Orthopedic Residency”
Disclaimer: Balance Physical Therapy provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
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