Healthcare

Physical Therapist resume example & template

An outpatient orthopedic physical therapist resume for a DPT with an OCS and an inpatient start. It reports caseload, visits per day and standardized outcome scores, which is how clinic directors compare therapists.

Edit this template, free Download PDF

DPT, state license and ABPTS board certification are visible before the first job.
Caseload numbers match real outpatient norms: 11 to 13 visits a day, 55 active patients.
Outcomes use validated measures (LEFS, ODI, QuickDASH) rather than vague recovery claims.

Marcus Whitfield

Physical Therapist, PT, DPT, OCS · Outpatient Orthopedics

Nashville, TN(615) 555-0119marcus.whitfield@email.comlinkedin.com/in/marcuswhitfieldpt

Summary

Board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist with 7 years of practice, 5 in outpatient orthopedics after 2 years of acute care. Treats post-op knee and shoulder, spine and running injuries, and runs return-to-sport testing for ACL reconstruction patients.

Experience

Physical Therapist · Results PhysiotherapyJun 2021 – Present

Nashville, TN

Treated 11 to 13 patients a day in 1:1 visits with a caseload of about 55, split across post-op, spine and sports injuries.
Evaluated 6 to 8 new patients a week, many under Tennessee direct access; referred 3 in 2025 to physicians for red-flag findings.
Built an ACL reconstruction return-to-sport battery (hop tests, handheld dynamometry, ACL-RSI) with two local orthopedic surgeons.
Tracked LEFS, ODI and QuickDASH in WebPT; knee patients discharged in 2025 gained a median 24 points on the LEFS.
Kept cancel and no-show rates at 6% against a 10% clinic target by scheduling the full plan of care at evaluation.
Supervised 2 DPT students through 10-week clinical rotations as an APTA Credentialed Clinical Instructor.

Physical Therapist, Acute Care · TriStar Skyline Medical CenterJul 2019 – May 2021

Nashville, TN

Saw 9 to 11 patients a day on orthopedic, neuro and step-down units, including day-of-surgery mobility after hip and knee arthroplasty.
Recommended discharge destination (home, home health, SNF or inpatient rehab) for each patient at daily interdisciplinary rounds.

Education

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) · Belmont UniversityMay 2019

B.S. Exercise Science · Middle Tennessee State UniversityMay 2016

Skills

Clinical: Orthopedic evaluation, Manual therapy and joint mobilization, Post-op ACL, rotator cuff and TKA rehab, Return-to-sport testing, Therapeutic exercise prescription, Gait analysis

Outcome measures: LEFS, ODI, QuickDASH, NPRS, Y-Balance Test

Systems and billing: WebPT, Epic, CPT and 8-minute rule, Medicare plan-of-care certification

Certifications

Physical Therapist License, Tennessee Board of Physical Therapy · National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), FSBPT, 2019 · Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist (OCS), ABPTS, 2024 · APTA Credentialed Clinical Instructor · BLS Provider, American Heart Association

How to write a physical therapist resume

What hiring teams in this field actually screen for, and the terms that get matched.

What clinic directors screen for

Directors hiring outpatient therapists want to know three things quickly: are you licensed in their state, what populations have you treated, and can you carry the schedule. State visits per day, caseload and new evaluations per week, because a therapist used to 8 visits a day will struggle in a 13-visit clinic. Then show clinical quality with outcome measures and plan-of-care completion, not with adjectives. Surgeon relationships and protocol work also stand out, since they bring referrals.

Credentials and terms that get matched

Write your credentials the way APTA recommends: PT, DPT, then board certifications such as OCS or SCS from ABPTS. List the state license, NPTE and any residency or fellowship (an orthopedic residency or FAAOMPT is a strong filter term). Name the EMR (WebPT, Raintree, Epic) and your billing knowledge, including CPT codes, the 8-minute rule and Medicare certification. Techniques like dry needling, vestibular rehab or blood flow restriction should appear only if you are trained and your state permits them.

Common mistakes on physical therapist resumes

The most common miss is a resume that could belong to any PT: "developed individualized treatment plans" appears on nearly every one. Replace it with populations, volumes and outcome scores. New graduates often list every clinical rotation at equal length; expand the one closest to the job you want and shorten the rest. Also avoid percentage improvement claims without a named measure, which clinicians will question immediately.

Physical Therapist resume FAQ

Quick answers before you start writing.

What should a physical therapist resume include?

A strong physical therapist resume opens with a concise professional summary, then work experience written as quantified, results-first bullets, followed by education, a skills section, and any certifications. The example above shows each section in order.

What skills should a physical therapist resume highlight?

Lead with the skills the job posting asks for. For a physical therapist, recruiters and ATS filters commonly look for Orthopedic evaluation, Manual therapy and joint mobilization, Post-op ACL, rotator cuff and TKA rehab, Return-to-sport testing, Therapeutic exercise prescription, and Gait analysis. Group them so they are easy to scan.

Is this physical therapist resume template ATS-friendly?

Yes. It uses a single-column structure, standard section headings, real text (no text trapped in images), and no tables or graphics that confuse applicant-tracking systems, so it parses cleanly while still looking polished.

How long should a physical therapist resume be?

One page is ideal for most physical therapists. Use two pages only if you have ten or more years of directly relevant experience, then tune the text size and margins so it stays clean.

Make this resume yours

Edit the wording, switch styles and colours, and tailor it to each job. All free.

Edit this template for free

Free · your data stays yours · no credit card