Sign up to get free evidence-based articles, exclusive discounts, and insights from industry-leaders.
Email could not be subscribed.
Thank you for signing up!
PCS Prep Program
This self-guided PCS Prep Program is designed to give you the tools you need to pass the test, gain expertise, and advance your career — all while earning CEUs.
Subscribe Now Request More InformationAlready a subscriber? Sign in to start.
93%
of subscribers that studied with the MedBridge Certification Prep Programs successfully passed their board specialization test!
Prepare to take the next step in your career.
Our PCS Prep Program provides all of the tools you'll need to pass the board specialization test, develop your clinical skill set, and elevate your career - all while earning CEUs. With advanced certification, you'll set yourself apart as a distinguished professional equipped to provide an advanced level of care.
We can help you get there faster.
In this program you will study advanced topics taught by the best instructors in pediatric therapy. With over 300 practice questions, this 16-week program will have you well-prepared for success on test day.
Learn from the Best
Study advanced topics taught by the top instructors in pediatric therapy.
Identify Strengths
Analyze your strengths & weaknesses with scores for practice areas.
Personalize Your Plan
Customize the program to meet your needs. Study in groups or on your own.
Advance Your Career
Prepare for the test and earn CEUs—all included in the annual subscription.
Explore PCS Prep Courses
Orthopedic Examination of the Pediatric Patient
Presented by David Piskulic, PT, DPT, SCS, ATC
Orthopedic Examination of the Pediatric Patient
Subscribe now, and access clinical education
and patient education—anytime, anywhere—with video instruction from
recognized industry experts.
Orthopedic Examination of the Pediatric Patient, presented Dr. David Piskulic, provides an overview of pediatric growth and development. Dr. Piskulic highlights orthopedic development, reflex integration, gross motor control and development of movement. Participants will learn common observational and assessment measures for analysis of pediatric growth and development, as well as how to perform common assessment measures for pediatric patients. Dr. Piskulic demonstrates how to recognize development time period for learned skills, such as crawling to walking, jumping, skipping, hopping, and running.
Neuroplasticity: Motor Control and Learning
Presented by Patricia C. Montgomery, PhD, PT, FAPTA
Neuroplasticity: Motor Control and Learning
Subscribe now, and access clinical education
and patient education—anytime, anywhere—with video instruction from
recognized industry experts.
This course provides descriptions of basic concepts such as synaptogenesis and neurogenesis before reviewing current research on potential neuroplasticity and methods of measurement. Dr. Montgomery will also discuss the rationale for task-specific training and the role of aerobic activity in motor control and learning. Finally, critical elements to enhance brain plasticity in pediatric therapy are outlined, and the role of therapists in facilitating different types of motor tasks in varied environments is summarized.
Implications of Cognitive and Motor Interactions for Intervention
Presented by Stacey Dusing, PT, PhD, PCS
Implications of Cognitive and Motor Interactions for Intervention
Subscribe now, and access clinical education
and patient education—anytime, anywhere—with video instruction from
recognized industry experts.
A large body of evidence suggests a tight coupling between motor and cognitive development. Yet physical therapy education often focuses only on motor development. This course will demonstrate the relationship between motor and cognitive skills in the first year of life and will introduce intervention strategies that can be used with infants and young children to enhance the integrated development of motor and cognitive skills. The application of theory to clinical examples will enhance learners' ability to support motor and cognitive development.
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Part 1: What We Know Now
Presented by Claudia Senesac, PT, PhD, PCS
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Part 1: What We Know Now
Subscribe now, and access clinical education
and patient education—anytime, anywhere—with video instruction from
recognized industry experts.
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is the most common childhood muscular dystrophy. Much of what we have known about this disease has been based on years of clinical observation, muscle biopsy, and other limited testing. Longitudinal studies and clinical trials are shaping our "new understanding" of this disease. The courses related to DMD will span pathophysiology, research, the development of therapy recommendations, and quality of life issues. Therapy recommendations are based on predictive models of biomarkers and function, helping therapists and families plan for the future. Therapists play a critical role in caring for boys and young men with this disease.
Providing Related Services: Selecting Outcomes and Documenting Progress
Presented by Amy Barr, PT, DPT and Mary Jane Rapport, PT, DPT, PhD, FAPTA
Providing Related Services: Selecting Outcomes and Documenting Progress
Subscribe now, and access clinical education
and patient education—anytime, anywhere—with video instruction from
recognized industry experts.
Selecting meaningful outcome measures for students receiving school-based physical therapy can be challenging. This course describes how to integrate the ICF framework and clinical reasoning skills to select relevant outcome measures for students with disabilities. Methods for documenting progress, improving team collaboration, and increasing efficiency of data collection will also be highlighted. Case studies and examples of documentation will facilitate translation to practice.
Medical Surveillance Guidelines for Down Syndrome
Presented by Kathy Martin, PT, DHSc
Medical Surveillance Guidelines for Down Syndrome
Subscribe now, and access clinical education
and patient education—anytime, anywhere—with video instruction from
recognized industry experts.
Individuals with Down syndrome may have multiple medical comorbidities that may potentially affect any system in the body. This course will provide a brief overview of common medical issues in children with Down syndrome. Appropriate questions for conducting a systems review will be discussed along with red flags that would warrant a referral to a physician. The American Academy of Pediatrics' guidelines for health supervision of infants and young children will also be reviewed.
Taking a History for a Pediatric Patient
Presented by Venita Lovelace-Chandler, PT, PHD, PCS
Taking a History for a Pediatric Patient
Subscribe now, and access clinical education
and patient education—anytime, anywhere—with video instruction from
recognized industry experts.
How can a therapist systematically gather information and data, from both the past and the present, related to why the family is seeking services? This course suggests the sources used to gather information for the history, provides some typical information to gather at different ages, and demonstrates taking a history from the family of a young child.
Early Intervention: Implementing High Quality Intervention in Natural Settings - Part One
Presented by Elisa Kennedy, PT, PhD, PCS
Early Intervention: Implementing High Quality Intervention in Natural Settings - Part One
Subscribe now, and access clinical education
and patient education—anytime, anywhere—with video instruction from
recognized industry experts.
Federal legislation authorizing early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities (Part C of IDEA) provides clear instruction: EI is to be provided to the maximum extent appropriate in natural environments, such as home or community. Intervention provided in the natural environment of the child has clear advantages, with increased opportunities to impact brain plasticity by practicing meaningful tasks within the environment where the child lives, grows, plays, and participates in activities with families and peers. The topics in this course will include the development of fun, age-appropriate intervention programs to promote a child's ability to move as based on evidence-based principles of motor development, motor control, and motor learning. This is part one in a two-part course on Early Intervention: Implementing High Quality Intervention in Natural Settings.
Track Your Strength
The PCS Prep Program is based on practice areas in alignment with the Pediatric Description of Specialty Practice. Over 300 test questions are mapped to the DSP so participants can track their strengths and weaknesses to prepare for the exam.
See your strength in over 20 categories! Begin the PCS program today.
Practice Exam
Case Excerpt:
A 5-month old infant male, twin A of a 30-week gestation pregnancy, is referred to outpatient physical therapy secondary to complications resulting from torticollis and plagiocephaly. Post- birth hospital course included a 5-week neonatal intensive care unit stay requiring oxygen by nasal cannula for support for 3 days. MRI and ultrasound studies were unremarkable. His 20-year-old single mother reports that he is not as active during the day as his twin sister is, does not turn his head to the right side and cries when placed in the prone position on the floor. This mother has noticed a flat spot on the left side of his head. she reports that he spend the majority of his day seated in his infant seat. He is cared for by a babysitter while his mother works.Question:
Which of the following developmental tests would be the most appropriate for the physical therapist use in determining the potential outcomes for this infant?
Correct!
Incorrect!
Subscribe to access over 300 more questions like this one.
The correct answer is "Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP)"
In order to correctly answer this item, the pediatric clinical specialist would require knowledge of the available tests and measure to assess potential outcomes for high risk infants. Research has shown that the TIMP is responsive to maturation and medical risk for developmental disability, can differentiate among children with varying degrees of risk for motor dysfunction in the first year of life, and has high diagnostic validity for predicting 1- and 5-year motor outcomes.Meet Our Instructors
Susan K. Effgen, PT, PhD, FAPTA
Susan K. Effgen, PT, PhD, FAPTA, is a professor in the Division of Physical Therapy, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Kentucky. She is an established educator and researcher in pediatric physical therapy and has taught at several universities including the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. In 1986, she established the sixth doctoral program in physical therapy in the United States at Hahnemann University (now Drexel University) in Philadelphia, PA, and then the Rehabilitation Sciences Doctoral Program at the University of Kentucky. She co-founded the Adaptive Learning Center for Infants and Children in Atlanta, GA.
Dr. Effgen is a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). As co-chair of APTA's Section on Pediatrics' Government Affairs Committee, she was active in the process of the authorization and reauthorizations of IDEA. Dr. Effgen has published extensively, has served on several editorial boards, including Physical Therapy, and edited both editions of the text Meeting the Physical Therapy Needs of Children. She was principle-investigator of a US Department of Education grant: PT COUNTS, Study of the Relationship of Student Outcomes to School-Based Physical Therapy Services. Dr. Effgen received the Section on Pediatrics' Bud DeHaven Award for Extraordinary Service to the Section and the Section's Advocacy Award, which is now given in her name. She is the founding chair of the Section's School-Based Physical Therapy Special Interest Group. She is presently working with an adaptive dance program in a number of Kentucky schools.
Claudia Senesac, PT, PhD, PCS
Claudia Senesac is a clinical associate professor at University of Florida in the Doctor of Physical Therapy department. Her teaching responsibilities include functional anatomy dissection and pediatrics in physical therapy. She has over 37 years of pediatric clinical experience. She has been the owner and administrator of a pediatric physical therapy private practice since 1984 and is a board certified clinical specialist in pediatrics. Claudia is still providing therapy to children with a variety of conditions. Her research focus has been in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). She is a sub-investigator for a multi-center NIH funded grant investigating Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Biomarkers in boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. In addition, she has spearheaded investigating the reliability and common errors seen in outcome measures in DMD across research and clinic sites. She is a national educator for Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, translating research to clinical practice. She has several publications in peer-reviewed journals related to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy as author and co-author. Most recently, she was the recipient of the International Educator of the Year award for the College of Public Health and Health Professions at UF in 2016, and in 2014 received the Outstanding Pediatric Clinician Award from the Pediatric Section of the APTA.
Robert Barnhart, PT, MS, ScDPT
Bob Barnhart is a Professor and the Director Physical Therapy program at Concordia University Wisconsin. He received his PT degree from Emory University (1979), his MS from the University of Tennessee Knoxville (1992), and his ScDPT from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (2006). He was a board certified pediatric physical therapist (PCS 1997, 2007), emeritus PCS (2017) and is NDT certified (1986). He has practiced in a variety of pediatric settings including school-based, early intervention, NICU, outpatient, acute care, and ICF/MR. He has authored or co-authored 8 peer review articles on pediatric rehabilitation topics.
Kathy Martin, PT, DHSc
Dr. Martin received a BA in Athletic Training from Purdue University in 1987, an MS in Physical Therapy from the University of Indianapolis in 1990, and a Doctor of Health Science from the University of Indianapolis in 2003. She joined the faculty of the Krannert School of Physical Therapy at the University of Indianapolis in 2000 and is currently a Professor. Her clinical background includes early intervention and inpatient pediatric general acute care. Dr. Martin teaches the pediatric portion of the DPT curriculum, and her research efforts have been focused on orthotic effectiveness and children with Down syndrome. Dr. Martin is currently the Chair of the Education Committee for the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy and has been actively involved in identifying best practices in pediatric physical therapy professional education. She is also the 2008 winner of the Indiana Chapter of the APTA Frances Ekstam Award for outstanding contribution to the physical therapy profession.
Elisa Kennedy, PT, PhD, PCS
Elizabeth "Elisa" T. Kennedy, PT, PhD, PCS, is an Associate Professor Emeritus in Physical Therapy, an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy (PT), and Adjunct Faculty in the College of Medicine, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL. She received a PhD in Early Childhood Special Education from the University of Georgia, a MMSc in Physical Therapy with emphasis on Maternal and Child Health from Emory University, and a BS in Physical Therapy from Georgia State University. Dr. Kennedy is a Board-Certified Pediatric Physical Therapist with more than 35 years of clinical experience, with specific expertise in the NICU, high-risk infant follow-up, and early childhood special education. She has been published in peer-reviewed journals and frequently presents to professional audiences, locally, nationally, and internationally, in the areas of assessment and intervention for the infant and young child.
Stacey Dusing, PT, PhD, PCS
Dr. Dusing is a board certified pediatric physical therapy specialist with over 15 years of clinical and research experience with infants and children. Dr. Dusing is currently associate professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Virginia Commonwealth University where she directs the Motor Development Laboratory. Her research focuses on postural control, reaching development and interventions to advance development in infants with or at high risk of having developmental disabilities including interventions in the Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) and the first year of life. Dr. Dusing is also a core faculty member in the Virginia Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (Va-LEND) program and an Affiliate Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Pediatrics. She provides clinical physical therapy services in the NICU and Neonatal Continuing Care Program at the Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU.
Dr. Dusing received her BS in Physical Therapy from Daemen College in Buffalo NY. She earned her MS and PhD in Human Movement Science at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed an NIH career development award at the University of Delaware. She has had research funding from NIH, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, The US Department of Education, AD Williams Foundation, APTA Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy and the Foundation for Physical Therapy.
Cindy Marti, PT
Cindy Marti began her career at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton in 1986. In 1989 she joined Milwaukee-based Competitive Edge Sports Medicine and became part of the management team in 1991. In 1994, after Competitive Edge became part of NovaCare, Cindy became General Manager of the Wisconsin region.
In 1996, Cindy stepped down from upper level management and began specialization in spine therapy. In February 2003, Cindy opened Spinal Dynamics of Wisconsin. In 2006, the Spinal Dynamics scoliosis clinic was established. In 2011, Cindy was named to the International Body of Instructors for Barcelona Scoliosis Physical Therapy School and began teaching Schroth courses for physical therapists in 2012.
Cindy employs 6 physical therapists in her Milwaukee-based private practice. The scoliosis clinic at Spinal Dynamics includes physical therapy using the Schroth and SEAS methods, custom scoliosis bracing, scoliosis screenings, and surface topography for the spine. Cindy is active in SOSORT, the international organization dedicated to conservative management of scoliosis. She currently divides her time between patient care, clinic ownership, lecturing at various professional meetings and universties, and teaching scoliosis certification courses with her fellow instructors under the recently formed Schroth-Barcelona Institute, LLC ((TM)).
Mary Jane Rapport, PT, DPT, PhD, FAPTA
Mary Jane Rapport, PT, DPT, PhD, FAPTA, is a Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Dr. Rapport is a professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Department of Pediatrics in the School of Medicine at the University of Colorado, where she is core faculty in the Physical Therapy Program. She is the director of the University of Colorado Pediatric Physical Therapy Residency Program and Faculty Residency Program, the PT Program student services coordinator, the PT discipline director for the Maternal and Child Health LEND program through JFK Partners, and a codirector of the Teaching Scholars Program in the School of Medicine. Dr. Rapport has extensive experience as an educator and a pediatric physical therapist with a productive record of presentations and publications. Much of her career has been focused on legislative and policy interpretation for the delivery of special education, related services, and early intervention services for children with disabilities and their families.
Dr. Rapport has been a physical therapist for 40 years and a physical therapist educator for more than 20 years. While much of her career has been in academia and focused on higher education, she has maintained a clinical practice in schools as a school-based physical therapist and as an early intervention service provider. She has taught many courses, workshops, and conference sessions addressing the implementation of services under IDEA and related federal laws to thousands of pediatric physical therapists over the years.
Venita Lovelace-Chandler, PT, PHD, PCS
Dr. Lovelace-Chandler has been an educator in pediatric topics for over 30 years to professional and post-professional physical therapy students. She has over 40 years of experience in pediatrics, has recertified as a specialist two times, and still carries a small caseload. She taught numerous Advanced Clinical Practice courses in pediatrics for the APTA, has published articles and book chapters on pediatrics and has numerous presentations and workshops on pediatrics. She was named as the recipient of the 2011 Linda Crane Memorial Lecture awarded by the Pediatrics, Cardiopulmonary and Education Sections, won the Service Award for 30 years of Service awarded by the Section on Pediatrics in 2003, was the Featured speaker at Opening Ceremonies of the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties at CSM in 1991, and won the CAPTE Distinguished Service Award in April of 2014, the TPTA President's Award for Outstanding Service in 2016, the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education Distinguished Service Award in 2014, the Service Award for 23 Years of Service to the Arkansas Chapter of the APTA in 2003, and the Outstanding Service Award of the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy in 2008.
She holds a BS in PT from Southwestern Medical School (1971), an MA in college teaching from the University of North Carolina (1976), and a PhD in Academic Administration/Health Education from Texas A&M University (1989). She was Vice-Chair and Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) prior to retirement in 2014. She served as Chairperson for the University of Central Arkansas and Chapman University programs in physical therapy and as Associate Director in the School of Physical Therapy at Texas Woman's University before joining UNTHSC.
She has served in numerous APTA elected leadership positions, was the pediatric content expert for the APTA's Move Forward public site for 4 years, ending in 2016, served as secretary of the TPTA from 2013-2015, and has served as a delegate to the APTA House of Delegates for Texas for the last 6 years.
Jeanine Colburn, PT, DPT, MS, PCS
Jeanine has been a practicing physical therapist since 1975. A pediatric clinical specialist since 1994, she had extensive experience with the adult rehabilitation population earlier in her career. She first began billing for services as a solo provider in 1992 when she moved to an area that did not have pediatric physical therapy. Since that time she has split her career between early intervention services, school-based services, and private practice. She has owned a multidisciplinary outpatient pediatric therapy company which provided services to children in their homes. She currently provides early intervention physical therapy, private outpatient physical therapy, and advises therapists who want to start their own practice. Her book, The Small Patient Practice: A Beginner's Guide to Starting a Pediatric PT, OT or SLP Practice, is in its second edition.
What's Included in the Program
Advanced Courses
Choose from over 55+ online, video-based courses taught by the experts
Practice Questions
Study with over 300 practice questions and recommended journal articles
Group Study
Prepare on your own or with others sitting for the exam
Structured Program
Improve your expertise with this 16-week program designed specifically for the PCS exam
Advance your knowledge with exclusive content from industry leading instructors
