Program Background & History
"On the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that upon other fields on other days will bear the fruits of victory"—Gen. Douglas MacArthur
Program Mission
Produce clinical scientists with advanced competency in the subspecialty of Division 1 Sports Physical Therapy who serve as leaders and mentors in the Military Health System and the profession of Physical Therapy.
Program Vision
Set the standard for sports physical therapy doctoral fellowship education through academic, research and clinical excellence.
"Sports Medicine on the Battlefield...operational readiness through injury prevention and early intervention"
Program Background & History
The on-the-field experience and sports medicine skills obtained by our fellows on the "fields of friendly strife" at West Point, "bear fruits" when caring for our military tactical athletes in the future.
The U.S. Military – Baylor University Doctoral Fellowship in Sports Physical Therapy is the only post-professional sports medicine program for military PTs. The program was founded in 1994 by COL Charles "Chuck" Scoville at the United States Military Academy – West Point. It is an eighteen month program of advanced on-field, clinical, and didactic education in sports physical therapy. Like our sister program, the Army-Baylor OMPT Doctoral Fellowship, this program is a joint-service doctoral program for PTs from the Army, Air Force, and Navy.
The program is located in the Arvin Physical Development Center at the historic United States Military Academy (USMA) in West Point, New York . . . home of the Army Black Knights! Being located at West Point provides the fellows the opportunity to work directly with Division I college athletes, Competitive Club Sports athletes, Intramural athletes, and military trainees, all in one location. Additionally, the fellows gain experience providing sports medicine coverage to "All-Army" sports competitions (including the Military World Games), the "Warrior Games" for wounded warriors at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, and the Army 10-Miler.
The fellowship was one of the first in the nation to be formally credentialed by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) in 1998. The fellowship was the first credentialed post-professional program for physical therapists in the military.
