Upper Extremity Athlete Fellowship

Memorial Hermann | Rockets Sports Medicine Institute offers advanced physical therapists the opportunity to complete an Upper Extremity Athlete Fellowship through its partnership with the Detroit Tigers Baseball Club. The mission of the Memorial Hermann Upper Extremity Athlete Fellowship is to provide advanced clinical training and develop clinical expertise in the care of athletic populations with sports related injuries to the upper extremity, with the goal of improving player health across the athletic career and lifespan.

Applicants must have graduated residency or already have an advanced certification through the APTA (OCS or SCS). The program affords a fellow a unique immersion into the field of specialized care in an aspiring Upper Extremity Center of Clinical Excellence, as well as immersive experiences with the University of Houston's Baseball Club and the Detroit Tigers Baseball Club. These meaningful collaborations allows for access to unique learning opportunities, with over 150 hours of one-on-one clinical mentorship with board-certified and fellowship-trained clinicians and interprofessional collaboration with affiliated sports medicine teams. Fellows will navigate through the program in 12 months, beginning in July of each year in Houston, Texas and finishing in June in Lakeland, Florida. Applications open on an annual basis in the month of December.

The Memorial Hermann Upper Extremity Athlete Fellowship is currently a candidate program under the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE). 

For questions regarding the Upper Extremity Athlete Fellowship program, please email: UEAthleteFellowship@memorialhermann.org

Application Information

Through meaningful interprofessional collaboration, this program, located in the world's largest medical center and onsite at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida, offers vast opportunities for learning. With collaboration from both a Power Five Division One collegiate baseball program and a professional baseball organization, its associated sports medicine team and

Memorial Hermann's skilled sports medicine clinicians, there is never a shortage of unique learning experiences. 

Application Requirements

• Due December annually
• Resume or curriculum vitae
• Cover letter highlighting: previous experience with the overhead athlete population, detail on relevant qualifications associated with UE clinical populations, and short-/long-term career goals.
• 2-3 professional reference
• Proof of ABPTS specialist certification (SCS, OCS) or completion of an ABPTRFE-accredited residency in Sports or Orthopedic Physical Therapy

Prior to starting the fellowship, the following must obtain:

• Valid PT license in Texas
• Certified Athletic Trainer OR Emergency Responder for Athletes OR Licensed EMT

Please submit all applications materials through RF-PTCAS.

Financial Factsheet

Faculty

The UE Fellowship program, in conjunction with our accredited PT residency and fellowship programs, prides itself on developing leaders in the field of physical therapy. Our mentors invest heavily into the fellows' academic, professional and personal growth. The depth of experience in fellowship training means each fellow receives a personalized experience focused around achieving their goals through mentorship from athletic trainers, physical therapists, sports performance teams and affiliated orthopedic and sports medicine physicians. The fellow will also have the opportunity to learn from the Sports Medicine and Performance team within the Detroit Tigers Baseball Club.

In-Depth Curriculum

Our curriculum is continuously updated by our faculty and collaborators to provide the most up-to-date, evidence-based practice. The curriculum is designed specifically to encompass varying domains of upper extremity athletics, with a particular focus in throwing-related injuries across the playing career. Additionally, our fellowship sites will provide educational experiences that expand beyond direct, clinical patient care to keep fellows at the forefront of an ever-evolving field. 

With a curriculum designed for multidisciplinary collaboration, the fellow will have the unique opportunity to become a leader in inter-professional communication. In the fall, fellows will be immersed within the University of Houston Division One Athletics Program that allows for onsite mentorship from athletic trainers, team physicians, strength and conditioning coaches, dietitians, sports psychologists and sports physical therapists. Through experiences within the Detroit Tigers Baseball Club, the fellow will gain the ability to navigate a high volume, multi-disciplinary sports environment.

Fellows will also work alongside orthopedic surgery fellows, primary care sports medicine fellows and master’s of athletic training students as they go through sections of their didactic curriculum. Additionally, the fellows work through their sports-specific rehab curriculum as they progress through the program with lectures and labs from specialists within the field. While serving in the clinic, fellows will work closely with Memorial Hermann | Rockets Sports Medicine Institute Human Performance team members, including strength and conditioning coaches, dietitians and biomechanists, to successfully return their athletes to peak performance. Lastly, fellows will have the opportunity to work alongside our research team to develop and execute a clinically meaningful research project for submission to national conferences and future publication.

Our goal is to provide a robust experience and introduction to the management of upper extremity athletes while giving the fellows the tools to reach their full potential through structured mentorship, diverse curriculum and leadership training.

Curriculum Components (Examples):

Overhead Throwing Module:

• Rehabilitation Phases for Overhead Athletes
• Normative MSK Profiles of Throwing Athletes
• Data-Driven Objective Examination for Throwing Athletes
• Shoulder Exam and Imaging
• Elbow Exam and Imaging
• Ulnar Collateral Ligament Series
• Biomechanical Assessment of Throwing
• Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
• Interval Throwing Program Design and Implementation
• Considerations for the Softball Athlete
• Daily Assessment of Baseball Athletes
• Introduction to the HITS Database

Non-Overhead Throwing Module:

• Shoulder Instability – Surgical and Conservative Management
• Gymnastics Medicine for UE Injuries 
• Ortho-biologics in UE Pathology
• Rotator Cuff Pathology
• Tennis Medicine
• Overhead Athletic Populations: Volleyball and Swimming
• Management of Traumatic Shoulder and Elbow Injuries

For More Information

Sean Kennedy PT, DPT, SCS PhD(c)
Upper Extremity Fellowship Director
Rockets Sports Medicine Institute - TMC
6400 Fannin St., Ste. 1620
Houston, Texas 77030
UEAthleteFellowship@memorialhermann.org

Thomas Latimore PT, DPT, OSC
Upper Extremity Fellowship Coordinator
Rockets Sports Medicine Institute - Fall Creek, Manager
9522 N Sam Houston Pkwy, Suite 2330
Humble, Texas 77396
UEAthleteFellowship@memorialhermann.org