Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy Residency

Application Information

1. Resume or Curriculum Vitae
2. DPT program academic transcript
3. 2 professional letters of recommendation (1 must be a clinical instructor)
4. Narrative description of your interest in our program (1 page maximum)

Applications are now being accepted until March 6, 2026. Applicants should email all materials to the program director and program coordinator by the March 6th deadline.

Program Director: Adam Culiver PT, DPT, PhD – aculiver@iuhealth.org
Program Coordinator: Lynne Brittain PT, DPT – lbrittain@iuhealth.org

Program Eligibility

1. Must have a physical therapy license issued by the Professional Licensing Agency of Indiana by program start date.
2. Must be eligible for hire by IU Health
3. APTA, Indiana Chapter, and Academy of Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Physical Therapy membership

Compensation and Benefits

Participants are full-time employees of IU Health, receive a salary which reflects their independent patient care hours, and are eligible for full medical, dental and vision benefits. Participants are not charged tuition for program participation. Participants are required to be American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) members, State Chapter APTA members and APTA Academy of Cardiovascular & Pulmonary Physical Therapy members. Participants are required to attend Combined Sections Meeting and will receive a stipend to offset the financial costs of attendance. There are no other fees associated with program participation. Please see the financial fact sheet link below for full information.

Additional Information

• Program Length: 16-months
  • August 10, 2026 – December 10, 2027
• Clinical Settings:
  • Methodist Hospital (adult inpatient care) - 11-12 months
  • University Hospital (adult inpatient care) - 10 weeks
  • Riley Children’s Hospital (pediatric inpatient care) - 80-100 hours
  • The Center of Life for Thoracic Transplant (“COLTT”) (adult outpatient care)- 10 weeks
    
• Specialty Experiences: Residents will have the opportunity for an array of specialty experiences including, but not limited to the following:
  • Provider clinics (pulmonology, advanced heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, ICU survivor clinic)
  • Cardiac Rehab
  • Pulmonary Rehab
  • Pulmonary Function Lab
  • Surgery Observation (multiple specialties)
  • Cystic Fibrosis Clinic
  • Head and Neck Cancer Clinic
• Program Highlights:
  • Work directly with ECMO and LVAD patient populations
  • Collaboration with residents from the wound and neurologic physical therapy residencies
  • Collaboration with speech and language pathologists for swallowing exams (modified barium swallows, FEES) and speaking progression for patients who required tracheostomy placement
  • Teaching: Participants will teach in the IU DPT cardiovascular and pulmonary practice patterns course offered in the Spring semester for 2nd year students.
    • Responsibilities include laboratory assistant and specialty lectures
  • Research: Participants receive research experience and training through ongoing projects and submit a scientific abstract to a professional conference prior to graduation. 
    • Participants will also present research to residency faculty on topics of interest.

Residency Curriculum

The curriculum of our cardiovascular and pulmonary residency incorporates a mix of formal and informal educational, clinical, and academic activities, as well as mentored direct care of cardiovascular and pulmonary patients. Program education is fulfilled through didactic sessions designed and led by highly skilled residency faculty. The curriculum is structured around the Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy Description of Residency Practice assessment readiness guidelines. After residency completion, graduates will be prepared to take the American Physical Therapy Association’s Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Clinical Specialist Examination.

Residents gain experience across the continuum of care: adult acute inpatient, cardiovascular and pulmonary critical care, pediatric acute inpatient and specialized outpatient services. By engaging in direct patient care, structured mentorship, research, and teaching, residents are equipped to take on the evolving role of the cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy specialist.

Sample of Weekly Responsibilities:

• 30 hours of direct patient care
• 4 hours of mentored clinical practice
• 2 hours of didactic education
• 1 hour journal club
• 4-6 hours dedicated to teaching, research, self-study or specialty experiences

Responsibilities depend on the time of the year.

Residency Outcomes

Upon completing the residency, the successful resident will:

• Provide evidence-based, patient-centered cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy in unique settings.
• Educate patients, caregivers, students, and colleagues across the health system.
• Collaborate with interprofessional teams to optimize functional outcomes.
• Demonstrate reflective practice, professional initiative, and lifelong learning behaviors.
• Exhibit advanced clinical reasoning and intervention skills consistent with specialty practice in cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy.
• Achieve eligibility to sit for the Cardiovascular and Pulmonary ABPTS exam.