The goal of The James Oncologic Physical Therapy Residency Program is to provide an extensive training for the successful treatment of the patient with cancer.
A comprehensive curriculum prepares you to treat patients with a variety of cancer diagnoses. A typical week in the Oncologic Physical Therapy Residency Program includes time in mentored and non-mentored practice, lab and didactic instruction, including self-study.
We offer an experienced faculty affiliated with one of the best medical centers in the nation. Our program will provide you with hands-on training, extensive mentorship, diverse educational opportunities and the ability to network with a variety of colleagues.
Our program is designed to prepare residents to take the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties examination in Oncologic Physical Therapy.
Our Team
Rachael LaPorte, PT, DPT, CLT
Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Oncologic Physical Therapy
Program Director
Rachael has been a rehab team member in The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute since 2017. Her clinical interests include treatment of patients with neuro oncology diagnoses, particularly patients with spine pathology. She received her board certification in Oncology in 2020 through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties and is a Certified Lymphedema Therapist. Rachael enjoys staying active including yoga, HIIT training, and walking, reading mysteries and thrillers, and spending time with her husband, dogs, family, and friends.
Karen Hock, PT, MS, CLT-LANA
Program Coordinator
Associate Director - Oncology Rehabilitation
Karen has been employed at The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute since 1990. Oncology Rehabilitation has been her career focus. Her clinical interests include lymphedema, specifically rehabilitation following lymphedema surgery, prehabilitation model of care for patients with cancer and chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy. Karen has been a certified lymphedema therapist through the Lymphology Association of North American (LANA) since 2005 and a member of the LANA Board of Directors from 2017- 2021. Karen remains part of the LANA Exam committee. Karen enjoys staying active by walking outdoors and spending time with her husband, grown children, and grandchildren.
Katie Ashworth, PT, DPT, CLT
Residency Manager
Katie has been a member of the Oncology Rehab team since 2019, working at the Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center. Her clinical interests include lymphedema, prehabilitation, as well as geriatric oncology in the multi-disciplinary care clinic at the Breast Center. In her free time, Katie enjoys traveling and staying active with her husband and young children.
Brittany Knauss, PT, DPT, MBA, CLT-LANA
Core Faculty
Brittany has been a member of the Oncology Rehab team since 2016, working at Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center and The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute. She recently took on a new role as the Quality Assurance Team Lead for outpatient oncology rehab. Her clinical interests include geriatric oncology, breast cancer, and head and neck cancer. She is a member of NextGen James Ambassadors, a group that fundraises and brings awareness to young adult and adolescent cancers.
Kayla Gault, PT, DPT, CLT
Board Certified Specialist in Oncologic Physical Therapy
Core Faculty
Kayla began her career in oncology rehabilitation as the inaugural Physical Therapy Oncology resident in 2020 and stayed with Ohio State in outpatient rehab upon completion of her residency. She earned her board certification in Oncologic Physical Therapy in 2021 and is also a Certified Lymphedema Therapist. She is passionate about empowering patients to navigate the side effects of their cancer treatment plan to meet their functional and personal goals and is a member of the James Pancreatic Cancer Multidisciplinary Clinic. Her clinical interests include chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, fall prevention, and optimizing chemotherapy tolerance. When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and cat, listening to live music, hiking, and traveling.
Elyse Redder, PT, CLT-LANA
Core Faculty
Elyse has been a member of Oncology Rehab Team at the Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center and The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute since 2016. While at Ohio State, she has worked to develop the PT role in the Comprehensive Amyloidosis Clinic. Clinically, she is interested in the treatment of patients with hematologic malignancies, thoracic oncology and head and neck cancer.
Caitlin Kotian, PT, DPT, CLT
Oncology Resident
Caitlin is joining us in Columbus from Winchester Virginia. She attended Virginia Commonwealth University graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and a Bachelor of Arts in German language. She then completed a Fulbright fellowship in Germany, researching physical therapy curriculum design and participating in first year classes and clinicals. Post-Fulbright she attended Arcadia University where she earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2017. Since graduating she has worked for Valley Health in Winchester Virginia in the outpatient and inpatient settings working with a variety of populations. It was here that she gained a passion for working with the oncology population and a desire to pursue further education to better serve this population. She has a passion for helping patients realize their full potential, return to activities that they enjoy, and find a love for exercise. Outside of work she enjoys playing music, learning languages, cuddling her dog, and traveling with her husband.
Structure and Goals
Structure
The 12-month program begins each year in August. This is a multi-site residency program between The Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center and The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute to offer a blended model of clinical, teaching and research experiences. Other educational opportunities include specialty topic conferences/journal clubs, grand rounds, hands-on labs, and specialized shadowing experiences.
Goals
The OSUCCC – James Oncologic Physical Therapy Residency Program is designed for residents to:
- Apply the best available evidence in physical therapy to patient care
- Demonstrate advanced fundamental knowledge in physical therapy foundations specific to the field of oncology
- Demonstrate advanced skills in examination and treatment of patients with cancer
- Demonstrate exceptional professional behaviors with clients, patients and their families while working in an interprofessional setting
- Demonstrate high-level teaching abilities in both academic and clinical settings
- Achieve exceptional clinical outcomes
Duties and Responsibilities
Oncologic physical therapy residents practice at The Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center, Cancer Supportive Care Clinic and The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute. On average, residents within this program spend 30 hours each week in clinical practice with oncologic specialized mentors and one-on-one mentoring. The resident will also have the opportunity to teach within Ohio State’s Division of Physical Therapy on Oncology Rehabilitation.
Curriculum
Oncologic Physical Therapy Curriculum
The Oncologic Physical Therapy Residency Program provides a comprehensive curriculum.
Clinical Practice
- One-on-one mentoring: 3 hours/week
- Non-mentored: 30 hours/week
- Specialized shadowing: 20-30 hours
Didactic
- Residency Conferences/Journal Clubs: ~1 hour/week
- Lab: ~1 hour/week
- Independent Study: Variable
- CSM: 24 hours
Teaching
- Oncology Rehabilitation Module: 3 hours
- Lymphedema Module and Lab: ~6 hours
- Complex Case Scenarios in Oncology Rehab: 3 hours
Research
- Case Study
- To be submitted to qualify for the board certification exam
- Potential to join existing research projects
Outcomes
- 100% Pass rate of the residency program
- 100% 1st-time pass rate on the specialty board exam
- 100% resident retention rate as an employee in the Ohio State health system
Application Process
Apply today for the Oncologic Physical Therapy Residency!
Minimum Requirements:
- Eligible for physical therapy licensure in the state of Ohio (required having by the start of the residency)
- Hold current/valid CPR certification
- Pass background check
- Pass pre-employment physical
The OSUCCC – James Oncologic Physical Therapy Residency Program is accredited by the American Board of Physical Therapy and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE). Applications should be completed through the American Physical Therapy Association’s centralized application system RF-PTCAS.
To learn more about the program, please contact:
Rachael LaPorte, PT, DPT, CLT
Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Oncologic Physical Therapy
Program Director, Oncologic Physical Therapy Residency
The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
460 W 10th Ave, Columbus, OH 43210
rachael.laporte@osumc.edu
614-293-0043
Stipends and Benefits
The program offers a paid staff physical therapist positions in The James Ambulatory Oncology Rehabilitation Department in which the salary is commensurate with revenue-generating clinical time (~30 hours/week). Salary is also based on previous years of experience. The salary indicated on the Financial Fact Sheet reflects the minimum and indicates 0 years of experience (ie. new PT graduate). Full benefits of this position include health insurance, liability insurance and assistance for professional development.
Funding to attend the American Physical Therapy Association’s Combined Section Meeting is offered to all residents.
See our Financial Fact Sheet to determine cost versus benefit of attending our residency program.
* Updated 2024
Facilities
Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center
The Stefanie Spielman Comprehensive Breast Center is the first of its kind in the Midwest to offer the full continuum of breast cancer care — from prevention and screening through detection, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship — in one world-class facility.
The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute
The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute is the patient-care component of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. Consistently ranked by U.S.News & World Report as one of the top hospitals in the nation for cancer care, The James is a transformational facility that fosters the collaboration and integration of cancer research and clinical cancer care. The James is the largest cancer hospital in the Midwest and the third largest in the nation.
