APTA Podcasts

Getting on Board With Specialist Certification: Advice From PTs

APTA Podcasts

Show Notes

In this episode, Colleen Ward, PT, DPT, board-certified clinical specialist in cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy, chats with three fellow APTA members about their experiences becoming board-certified clinical specialists. They share how earning certification has transformed their careers and the different paths they took to achieve it. Additionally, they offer advice for anyone considering certification. Since February 1985, when podcast panelist Meryl Cohen, PT, DPT, MS, FAPTA, and her peers, Linda Crane, PT, and Scot Irwin, PT, DPT, became the first physical therapists to achieve advanced specialist certification, this credential has been opening doors for thousands of professionals in the field. After listening to the episode, visit these resources to learn more: · APTA Specialist Certification Governed by ABPTS website and its “Become an ABPTS-Certified Specialist” page · APTA Report: "A Physical Therapy Profile: Wages for the Profession, 2021-22" · A Brief History: The First Specialist Certification Exams Held

More from APTA Podcasts

Oct 20, 2026

In this episode of the PTJ Podcast, Editorial Board Member John Heick, PT, DPT, PhD, talks with Bahar Shahidi, PT, DPT, PhD, about her recently published study that found that exercise-based rehabilitation results in the same magnitude of improvement in patients with radiographically mild, moderate, or severe stenosis. They discuss how imaging influencesclinical decision-making, why clinicians may be more likely to refer patients with severe stenosisto surgical interventions first, and why there is a specific benefit to exercise-based rehabilitationin this population.

Oct 13, 2026

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping healthcare, but what does that mean for physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and patient care?

Sep 22, 2026

As healthcare increasingly moves toward alternative payment models, or APMs, physical therapists need to be able to measure the impact, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness of their care.

Sep 15, 2026

In 2015, France implemented a major reform to physical therapist education by extending programs from three years to five years and by revising the curriculum to embed evidence-based practice in clinical training. Listen as Associate Editor Jason Beneciuk, PT, DPT, PhD, MPH, talks with Vincent Fontanier, PhD, about his recently published study, which examined the impact of the reform and the changes in evidence-based practice competencies among physical therapist graduates.

Aug 25, 2026

Medicare policy changes can affect how physical therapist services are valued, paid for, and delivered. In this episode, APTA staff experts Rachel Miller, MPH, and Andrew Amari, JD, help listeners understand what is at stake in the proposed 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, which provisions matter most for the profession, and how timely member comments can help shape final policy.

See all episodes →