WVU School of Medicine Physical Therapy program receives accreditation for Sports D1 Fellowship
The Division of Physical Therapy at the WVU School of Medicine has been granted accreditation for its Sports D1 Fellowship by the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education, making it one of only eight accredited D1 sports physical therapy fellowship programs in the nation.
"Accreditation is a huge step for the program and highlights the caliber of what we are doing here at WVU in the area of sports physical therapy," Justin Payette, PT, DPT, SCS, CSCS, assistant professor and Sports D1 Fellowship coordinator, said.
In collaboration with WVU Athletics, the D1 Sports Fellowship is an advanced postprofessional program for board-certified sports or orthopedics specialists looking to specialize in D1 sports physical therapy. The 12-month program combines clinical mentoring from experts, completing didactic coursework and experiencing being part of an athlete’s interdisciplinary care team.
“Our partnership with the Department of Athletics is a huge part of what makes this program so special,” Payette said. “Our fellow is fully integrated into Athletics, which is unique to our program and allows our fellows to graduate with a year’s experience being fully employed in a Power 4 environment.”
During their time in the program, fellows will work directly with WVU's student-athletes across multiple sports, gaining invaluable experience in injury prevention, acute injury management, rehabilitation, and performance optimization at the highest level of collegiate athletics.
WVU Deputy Athletics Director for External Affairs Matt Wells says WVU Athletics is fortunate to have the ability to have a partnership like this one.
“WVU Athletics is fortunate to have the PT Fellow on our sports medicine team, having another speciality-trained member of our team ensures our student-athletes receive the best medical care possible,” Wells said.
Alex Shaw, PT, DPT, CSCS, the program’s second fellow, received his DPT from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed his Sports Physical Therapy Residency at the M Health Fairview in conjunction with University of Minnesota Athletics before coming to WVU. He chose to pursue the Sports D1 Fellowship because it allowed him to be immersed in a D1 environment while working full-time with the athletic department's health and performance team.
“Being a part of this fellowship has been an incredible experience. Being immersed in the D1 environment has afforded me the chance to work full-time alongside athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, physicians, and other members of the health and performance team,” Shaw said. “ The opportunity to learn from a multitude of professions while building relationships with all members of West Virginia Athletics has been a blessing to show how a physical therapist can be a helpful team member in high-level athletics.”
Highlights of the program include: elite clinical training; a comprehensive curriculum; exceptional mentorship; research opportunities; and Big 12 Conference exposure.
Graduation from an accredited program qualifies fellows to work in top-tier collegiate and professional sports environments.
“Achieving ABPTRFE accreditation demonstrates the exceptional quality of our curriculum, clinical experiences and faculty expertise,” Ivan Mulligan, PT, DSc, ATC, CSCS, chair of the Division of Physical Therapy, said. “This achievement positions WVU among the nation's leading institutions in sports physical therapy education and validates the strong foundation we've built with the Department of Athletics since launching the program."
The program accepts one fellow annually, and the application for the 2026 fellowship is currently open.
For more information about the WVU Sports D1 Fellowship, visit https://medicine.hsc.wvu.edu/pt/post-professional-residencies-and-fellowships/ or contact, Dr. Justin Payette at justin.payette@hsc.wvu.edu.