Acute Care Physical Therapy Residency graduate Cheryl Self (second from left) holds her plaque following the Jan. 13 ceremony, joined by Alexis Bennett, Gina Rahn and Stephanie Eton. Photo by Angela Foster.
After a year of intensive clinical training, mentoring and patient care, a new benchmark for advanced physical therapy education in Chattanooga has been reached.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Erlanger marked a milestone Tuesday, Jan. 13, with the graduation of the first resident from their jointly developed Acute Care Physical Therapy Residency during a ceremony at Erlanger Baroness Hospital.
The event recognized the completion of the yearlong program by Dr. Cheryl Self, a licensed physical therapist at Erlanger who received her Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from UTC in 2020.
When the residency was announced in fall 2024, the goal of the two institutions was to establish a post-professional training program focused on acute care practice, expanding advanced clinical education while strengthening patient care across the region.
“It is truly special to gather here today to celebrate Cheryl and our residency, something we’ve been working toward for three years,” said Dr. Stephanie Eton, associate professor of practice in UTC’s Department of Physical Therapy and director of residency education. “When we began developing the program in 2023, we had a vision to elevate evidence-based physical therapy practice right here in Chattanooga for the Chattanooga community and to create a pathway for clinicians to deepen their expertise in acute care.”
Eton said the residency required sustained coordination between UTC and Erlanger, from curriculum development to clinical integration.
“This partnership model isn’t common in residency programs,” she explained. “There were moments when we weren’t exactly sure how all the pieces would come together, but we really believed in what we were building.”
The residency achieved candidacy status through the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education in 2024 and earned full accreditation in fall 2025. The 12-month program integrates advanced didactic instruction with intensive clinical experience in acute care settings, including trauma, neurology, cardiopulmonary care and complex medical and surgical cases.
Residents also serve as clinical instructors for UTC DPT students during clinical rotations.
The residency’s leadership and mentoring structure reflects long-standing ties between UTC and Erlanger. Gina Rahn, director of rehabilitation services at Erlanger and residency director, earned a bachelor’s degree from UTC in 1996. Alexis Bennett, an Erlanger physical therapy team lead who worked closely with Eton in developing the acute care residency, earned her DPT from UTC in 2016.
“Residency programs exist because we believe that growth doesn’t end at graduation,” Rahn said. “Acute care physical therapy demands practitioners who can think critically, adapt quickly and ground their clinical decisions in the best available evidence.”
Rahn noted that Self had already spent several years practicing at Erlanger before choosing to apply for the residency.
“She made the choice to pursue this residency not because she had to, but because she wanted to strengthen her practice, to learn at a higher level and to become the clinician she knew she could be,” Rahn said.
During the residency, Rahn said Self completed 183 hours of one-on-one mentoring, more than 300 hours of structured education and more than 1,400 hours of direct patient care.
“That kind of commitment and hunger for growth is exactly what this profession needs,” Rahn said, adding that Self set the standard for future cohorts of residents.
Cheryl Self
Self said her decision to apply was driven by a desire to continue learning and to gain deeper exposure to acute care physical therapy.
“When you go through physical therapy school, you only get one or two crash courses in acute care,” she said. “This was a really robust program exploring all the different areas of acute care physical therapy to include medical, surgical, cardiovascular, neurology and then orthopedics with trauma.”
She said one of the most impactful aspects of the residency was gaining a broader understanding of how physical therapists collaborate with other disciplines in a hospital setting.
“I didn’t realize how much more I would be communicating with the surgeons and the doctors, the case managers and all the other disciplines that give optimal patient outcomes for a safe discharge to get home,” Self said. “It really highlighted how physical therapy has such a special and integral role in helping people get home.”
Reflecting on the experience, Self said the residency has prepared her for continued growth within the profession.
“I feel like I really understand the hospital and the way it works with physical therapy,” she said. “It’ll be a great piece on my resume if I ever decide to apply for other positions or leadership positions within this community. It set me up to be a better physical therapist all around.”
Program leaders said the graduation represents the beginning of a long-term effort to expand advanced training opportunities through the UTC–Erlanger partnership.
“This is the first graduation, but it won’t be the last,” Rahn said. “Years from now, when we look back at how this program grew and the impact it’s had on acute care physical therapy in Chattanooga, it will all trace back to this moment.”
Learn more
UTC Physical Therapy and Doctor of Physical Therapy
UTC/Erlanger collaboration brings acute care PT residency to life
Erlanger/UTC Acute Care Physical Therapy Residency
Acute Care Physical Therapy Residency graduate Cheryl Self and Dr. Stephanie Eton, associate professor of practice in UTC’s Department of Physical Therapy and director of residency education.
