Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency
The Johns Hopkins Hospital and the George Washington University pediatric residency aims to help therapists build a strong foundation and gain clinical experience through clinical exposure and direct patient care across the pediatric continuum. This includes the acute care environment, pediatric rehabilitation, school system, early intervention and outpatient services. Residents enjoy a personalized, didactic program and are expected to participate in scholarly activities. Graduates become clinical experts capable of providing comprehensive, world-class physical therapy for pediatric patients, and have the knowledge and experience to positively impact the field of pediatric physical therapy throughout their career.
Duration: 12.5 months
Accreditation: ABPTRFE Accredited
Apply through RF-PTCAS
Application deadline: January 20, 2025
Admission decision: Early March
Program start: Mid-August
Prerequisites: applicant must be a graduate from an accredited physical therapy program (new graduates are accepted), hold a valid Maryland physical therapist license or be eligible to obtain one, hold a current CPR certification through the American Heart Association and be eligible to work in the United States without visa sponsorship by the PMR department.
Number of graduates: 10 graduates since 2016
Completion rate: 100%
Specialty exam pass rate: 100%
View program flyer | View financial fact sheet
Please click the pay application link to pay the supplementary application fee. Application will not be processed until the fee is received and application is complete. All fees are non-refundable.
Participating in residency was the best decision of my career! The exposure to different clinical practice areas, diagnoses, research and more, combined with expert mentorship, is something that really can’t be replicated. It is a year full of hard work, but it has shaped my clinical reasoning and helped form me into a competent and confident pediatric physical therapist.
Julie Miller, class of 2021
Program Features
- One-on-one mentoring
- Face-to-face academic teaching experience at the George Washington University in the spring semester
- A variety of multidisciplinary learning experiences
- Active participation in a quality improvement project
- Opportunity to participate in at least 1 annual conference
- Opportunity to participate in community service projects/camps
Program Completion Requirements
To successfully complete the residency, the resident must achieve/complete the following:
- Live Patient Examinations
- Graduation milestone on the Residency Competency Evaluation Instrument
- Written Examination
- Skill Competency Testing
- Program Evaluations
- Patient Health Conditions Chart
- Site Objectives
- Professional Portfolio
- Classroom and laboratory Instruction
- Assigned Scholarly Activities
- International Classification of Function forms
- Residency and Fellowship Consortium Modules
Residency Program Director
Alex Parra, PT, DPT, PCS
Current Residents | Class of 2026
Ashka Sevak, PT, DPT
Undergraduate school: Drexel University, bachelor's of science
Graduate school: Moravian University, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Paramus, New Jersey
Professional interests: Acute care, PICU/ NICU level care, medically complex infants and children, developmental delay, torticollis and plagiocephaly, early intervention services
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I chose Johns Hopkins because of the diverse opportunities to grow my practice and clinical skillset under the guidance of clinical mentors in a variety of pediatric settings including acute care, early intervention, school based therapy, inpatient rehabilitation and outpatient. I also loved the teaching opportunities at GWU within the program and the opportunity to collaborate with the interdisciplinary team.
Program Alumni
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Alexandra Hultstrom, PT, DPT
She/her/hers
Undergraduate school: Furman University, bachelor's of science in health sciences
Graduate school: Duke University School of Medicine, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Woodstock, Georgia
Professional interests: pediatric cardiac care, developmental delay, NICU/PICU, medically complex infants, adaptive equipment
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I chose Johns Hopkins due to numerous of opportunities to work with medically complex infants and learn from expert mentors. Additionally, I wanted the ability to collaborate and participate in interdisciplinary care to improve patient outcomes. Finally, I chose this program due to the opportunity to participate in research and teaching opportunities at GWU.
Jazmyn Watson, PT, DPT
She/her/hers
Undergraduate school: Ohio University, bachelor's of science in exercise physiology
Graduate school: Ohio University, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Sugar Grove, Ohio
Professional interests: cerebral palsy, genetic conditions, acute care, developmental delay, medically complex infants and children
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I chose Johns Hopkins for the opportunity to provide exceptional evidence-based care to patients with a variety of needs through the continuum of pediatric practice while having one-on-one mentoring. In addition to the clinical experiences, participating in an assortment of didactic experiences while teaching at George Washington University also drew me to this program. I am looking forward to working with the interdisciplinary team and learning from diverse perspectives to provide holistic and high-quality care to all patients. -
Jennifer Bosserman, PT, DPT
Undergraduate school: University of Mary Washington, bachelor's of science in biology
Graduate school: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Culpeper, Virginia
Professional interests: neurologic impairments, NICU/PICU, medically complex infants, early intervention services, inpatient rehabilitation services
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I chose Johns Hopkins because of the medically complex and diverse patient population as well as the opportunity to learn from mentors with expertise in many areas. I also chose this program due to the interdisciplinary care focus, research and quality improvement projects, and the teaching opportunities at GWU.
Emily Burris, PT, DPT
Undergraduate school: University of Missouri, bachelor's of science in health science
Graduate school: University of Missouri, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Springfield, Missouri
Professional interests: community inclusion and accessibility, developmental delay, autism spectrum disorders, developmental delay, clinical and academic teaching
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: I chose Johns Hopkins for the multitude of experiences offered during the residency including teaching at George Washington University and participation in community service projects. Additionally, I chose Johns Hopkins for the diversity and complexity of patients and diagnoses treated and the focus on interdisciplinary care. -
Annie Golovcsenko, PT, DPT
Undergraduate school: Gettysburg College, bachelor's in environmental studies with a minor in peace and justice studies
Graduate school: George Washington University, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Lexington, Massachusetts
Professional interests: medically complex infants, prematurity, neurologic impairments, developmental delayPost-residency Accomplishments:
- Clinical and didactic mentor for the JHH/GWU Pediatric PT Residency
- Co-author of Commentary on "Effect of Adaptive Seating Systems on Postural Control and Activity Performance: A Systematic Review"
- APTA Pediatric Consortium presenter
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Daniel McKee, PT, DPT
Undergraduate school: University of Maryland College Park, bachelor's in kinesiology with a minor in neuroscience
Graduate school: Marymount University, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Bel Air, Maryland
Professional interests: cerebral palsy, complex movement disorders, NICU/ PICU, adaptive fitness, multidisciplinary clinicsPost-residency Accomplishments:
- Assisting with the development of new pediatric residency at UW Health
- Serving as one of the primary didactic and clinical mentors for the pediatric residency at UW Health
- Working within the Pediatric Neuromodulation Laboratory as a Behavioral Assessment Specialist for the I-Aquire and Baby Brain Recovery studies
- Credentialed Clinical Instructor, GMA, HINE, HNNE, Adaptive Car Seat Specialist certified
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Julie Miller, PT, DPT, PCS
Undergraduate school: University of Maryland College Park, bachelor's in kinesiology with a minor in human development
Graduate school: Drexel University, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Catonsville, Maryland
Professional interests: neurological impairments, spinal muscular atrophy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, pediatric cardiac care, medically complex infantsPost-residency accomplishments:
- Primary clinical investigator in drug and gene therapy studies for spinal muscular atrophy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy
- Lead investigator in a quality improvement study entitled "Positioning of Infants in the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit: A Quality Improvement Project"
- Participated as a novice SMA clinician evaluator in the research study "The Spinal Muscular Atrophy Letter Phenotype Scale: a Retrospective Review"
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Megan Drews, PT, DPT, PCS
Undergraduate school: University of Washington, bachelor’s in biology-physiology with a minor in music
Graduate school: Washington University in St. Louis, program in physical therapy
Hometown: Kirkland, Washington
Professional interests: pediatric chronic pain, pediatric sport rehabilitation and performance, concussions, headache/migraine, vestibular rehabilitation, splinting and bracingPost-residency accomplishments:
- Physical therapist in the Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Clinic at The Johns Hopkins Hospital
- Presenter at the Johns Hopkins Critical Care Rehabilitation Conference: "Use of the Human Movement System to Guide the Physical Therapy Treatment of the Complex Critically Ill Pediatric Patient after Cardiac Surgery: A Case Report"
- Clinical evaluator in a research study on vestibular function in patients with cystic fibrosis
- Credentialed Clinical Instructor
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Jennifer Resetar, PT, DPT, PCS
Undergraduate school: Wake Forest University, bachelor’s in health and exercise science
Graduate school: University of Illinois at Chicago, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Lake Forest, Illinois
Professional interests: prematurity, torticollis, early intervention services, academic and clinical teachingPost-residency accomplishments:
- Co-authored Chapter 13, Physical Therapy for Pediatric Conditions in the 6th edition of the textbook "Introduction to Physical Therapy"
- Adjunct Faculty at the Virginia Commonwealth University DPT program
- Co-presenter of “A Healthy Day: Promoting Health in Early Childhood” at the 2021 APTA Pediatrics Annual Conference
- Pediatric Therapy Team Member of the Year Award 2020 at SOAR365
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Katherine Denlinger, PT, DPT, PCS
Undergraduate school: Luther College, B.A. in biology
Graduate school: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Rochester, Minnesota
Professional interests: neurologic impairments, neurodevelopment, chronic and complex critical illness, vestibular rehabilitation, headache/migraine management, cystic fibrosisPost-residency accomplishments:
- Lead investigator in research titled "Psychometric Testing of the Activity Measure for Post Acute Care (AM-PAC) in Pediatric Acute Care" which has been published in the July 2021 edition of the APTA Pediatric Physical Therapy journal
- Presenter of research on the AM-PAC on the Pediatric Physical Therapy podcast
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Alex Parra, PT, DPT, PCS
Read Q&A with Alex about her experience in the program.
Undergraduate school: California State University San Marcos; pre-physical therapy
Graduate school: University of Southern California; doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: San Diego, California
Professional interests: medically complex infants, connective tissues disorders, torticollis and plagiocephaly, developmental delay, toe walking, temporomandibular joint disorders, adaptive tryke building with Charm City TrykersPost-residency accomplishments:
- Established outpatient pediatric clinic
- President and co-founder of Charm City Trykers, Inc., a local non-profit division of AMBUCS that provides adaptive trykes for children with disabilities
- Assisted with initiation of Go Baby Go program in the Washington, D.C. area
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Jessica Raspen, PT, DPT, PCS
Undergraduate school: New York Institute of Technology; life sciences
Graduate school: New York Institute of Technology; doctorate in physical therapy
Hometown: Williston Park, New York
Professional interests: infant development, torticollis, post-NICU care, adaptive equipmentPost-residency accomplishments:
- Assists with the Pediatric coursework at the University of Kentucky
- Created video that is included in the text: "Meeting The Physical Therapy Needs of Children" by Susan Effgan
- Serves as part of the residency panel at University of Kentucky
- Credentialed Clinical Instructor
