American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists

04/04/2026

Can't miss episode on the hands on hands off podcast! If you are a new faculty member at the DPT, residency or fellowship level, Lee dives into teaching clinical reasoning across the various levels of professional learning in the PT profession.

04/01/2026

New hands on hands off podcast episode just dropped! Corey Simon on the emerging research investigating biomarkers, pain and precision rehabilitation.

03/31/2026

🌟 AAOMPT Member Spotlight: Ethan Feder, PT, DPT, FAAOMPT 🌟
Member since 2021

For Ethan Feder, joining AAOMPT wasn’t defined by one single “aha” moment—it was a gradual realization.

“I was at a point in my career where I had experience in both clinical and leadership roles, but I felt like my growth as a clinician was somewhat stagnant. I needed help navigating the challenges of clinical practice.”

Conversations with Fellows helped clarify his next step. After speaking with Roy Film, Program Director of the OMPT Fellowship at the University of Maryland, Ethan knew he had found the right path. During fellowship, he was mentored by Roy Film, Pete Bowman, and Alisa Pravdo, an experience he describes as career-changing.

Today, Ethan serves as Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, where he both teaches and practices. Fellowship training and AAOMPT membership have shaped his clinical reasoning, adaptability, and communication skills.

“I’ve become more comfortable in situations where there is no ‘right’ answer and learned to adapt my communication style depending on the situation.”

As a father of two young children, he jokes that those communication skills have proven just as valuable at home as in the clinic.

Giving back is what keeps Ethan engaged year after year. He now serves as faculty within the fellowship program and helps lead the AAOMPT sSIG at the University of Maryland, creating opportunities to mentor and spread awareness about fellowship training.

“Sharing how career-changing fellowship training has been for me is the real driving force for returning each year.”

Currently, Ethan and colleagues are investigating the likelihood of DPT students pursuing postgraduate education after exposure to fellowship-trained therapists during clinical rotations, further exploring how mentorship influences professional trajectories.

👏 Join us in celebrating Ethan’s dedication to mentorship, education, and advancing orthopaedic manual physical therapy through thoughtful leadership and research.

📍 University of Maryland | Baltimore, MD

03/24/2026

🌟 AAOMPT Member Spotlight: Terrence “Terry” McGee, PT, DSc, FAAOMPT 🌟
AAOMPT Member since 2005 | Fellow since 2010

For Terry McGee, the path to AAOMPT was shaped by powerful educational influences and intentional mentorship.

While completing his Doctor of Science degree at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Terry took coursework co-instructed by Jim Meadows and Roy Bechtel (RIP). He was immediately drawn to their clinical acumen—their depth of knowledge, psychomotor skill, and especially their clinical reasoning.

“Those courses reminded me of my entry-level education with Dave Cameron and Gary Austin, where I first experienced this level of OMPT excellence.”

At the time, Terry believed his professional future was firmly rooted in neurologic physical therapy. However, working with Jim and Roy reignited his passion for orthopaedic manual physical therapy and prompted him to pursue further training through the Manual Therapy Institute, with the goal of becoming the type of clinician they exemplified.

During fellowship, he was mentored by Roy Film, whose humility, leadership, and dedication to mentorship profoundly shaped Terry’s professional philosophy.

“AAOMPT attracts leaders who are not content with the meritocracy. It provides a community that challenges my thinking, sharpens my practice, and holds me accountable to excellence.”

Now based in Towson, Maryland, Terry serves as Assistant Professor & Director of Strategic Operations for the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Delaware.

AAOMPT influences his work daily.

“The organization’s emphasis on clinical reasoning, high standards, and mentorship directly informs how I teach, mentor, and lead. It offers a trusted network where I can test ideas and remain grounded in best practice.”

As his professional roles have expanded into education and leadership, Terry remains deeply committed to adaptive expertise and lifelong learning.

One of his most significant current initiatives is the DPT-to-Residency Pilot Program at UDPT.

“We need to stop treating residency as an optional add-on and start seeing it as the natural next step for advanced practice.”

The pilot aims to intentionally bridge the gap between DPT education and residency by integrating advanced clinical reasoning and mentorship earlier in training—reducing redundancy and making specialty practice more accessible both financially and logistically.

Through this initiative, Terry and the University of Delaware Physical Therapy program are working to address longstanding professional “pain points” and build a clearer, more sustainable pathway toward residency and fellowship readiness.

👏 Join us in celebrating Terry’s leadership, mentorship, and dedication to elevating the profession through innovation in education and advanced clinical training.

📍 University of Delaware | Towson, MD
🔗 Connect with Terry: www.linkedin.com/in/terrence-mcgee-pt-dsc-53b787a

03/17/2026

🌟 AAOMPT Member Spotlight: Christian Margeson, PT, DPT, FAAOMPT 🌟

For Christian Margeson, his AAOMPT journey had two beginnings.

He first joined years ago while considering fellowship training—but it wasn’t until he rejoined during fellowship and attended his first AAOMPT conference that everything clicked.

“That conference was transformative. I was surrounded by clinicians who approached patient care with the same clinical reasoning and rigor I aspired to. That’s when I shifted from seeing AAOMPT as a requirement to realizing this was where I belonged professionally.”

From that moment forward, Christian’s commitment to AAOMPT deepened—not just as a member, but as an active contributor and leader within the community.

Over the past two years, he has presented at the AAOMPT Annual Conference, and he currently serves on the Membership Committee, further strengthening his connection to the organization.

“Being surrounded by clinicians who share the same clinical language and commitment to excellence in person-centered care is refreshing and motivating. The relationships and professional friendships alone are worth the membership investment.”

Christian wears multiple professional hats. He practices full-time in a small private practice in southeast Alabama, serves as adjunct faculty at South College in Knoxville, teaches continuing education courses with Evidence In Motion (EIM), and is adjunct faculty within Bellin College’s fellowship program. He is also completing his Doctor of Science (DSc) degree through Bellin College.

Living in a more rural region, AAOMPT provides vital connection.

“Membership keeps me connected to a broader professional community beyond my immediate geographic area.”

Access to the Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy (JMMT) plays a central role in his clinical decision-making, teaching preparation, and doctoral research.

As part of his DSc work, Christian is involved in:
• A research project on the Master Adaptive Learner framework
• A scoping review on terminology used in pain classifications

He is also particularly passionate about integrating lifestyle medicine and behavior change principles into OMPT practice—exploring how manual therapists can more effectively address lifestyle factors that influence patient outcomes.

👏 Join us in celebrating Christian’s dedication to research, teaching, mentorship, and advancing orthopaedic manual physical therapy through both clinical excellence and meaningful professional community.

03/15/2026

Join us for the Fellowship Showcase March 16th!
https://aaompt.org/fellowshowcase

03/14/2026

Damian Keter on the Hands onto unpack manual therapy treatment mechanisms and how our profession needs to evolve its education around MT.

03/12/2026

Damian Keter joins the show to unpack manual therapy treatment mechanisms and how our profession needs to evolve its education around MT.

03/09/2026

Edutopia is on March 10th 7pm EST. Coaching One Another: Conversations for the Academic AAOMPT Leader will be presented by Megan Donaldson, Brian Young, Dawn James, and Eric Coley.

https://aaompt.org/Main/Event_Display.aspx?EventKey=EDUTOPIA10&WebsiteKey=eb5623db-0250-489d-9dd9-d1471bb0fb38

03/06/2026

Most people want to make improvements for sleep quality and duration, this invites a larger conversation about lifestyle and behavioral factors. Full episode with Mark Shepherd on the Hands on Hands off Podcast.

03/04/2026

Meet at the Summit! IFOMPT is coming to Vancouver, Canada June 1-3, 2028. Save the date and stay up to date here: https://www.ifompt.org/About+IFOMPT/Vancouver+2028.html

After a well-deserved Holiday Break, the 2028 Executive is back with a full to do list for 2026. Please have a look at our accomplishments for 2025 here. Over the next few months the conference website will launch, the committee structure will be finalized, hotel room blocks and airline discounts wi...

03/03/2026

🌟 AAOMPT Member Spotlight: John Seivert, PT, FAAOMPT 🌟

For John Seivert, AAOMPT isn’t just a professional organization—it’s history, evolution, and lifelong commitment rolled into one.

John is Fellow #0074, part of the very first group of AAOMPT Fellows, recognized at the IFOMPT Conference in Vail, Colorado in 1992, when the United States officially established itself within the international orthopaedic manual physical therapy community.

“We had just set up all the criteria for being a member nation. It was very exciting—Ground Zero.”

John completed his fellowship training at Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Western Australia in 1990, at a time when U.S. programs were being modeled after established international OMPT university programs. Being recognized as part of that inaugural fellowship cohort—and helping shape what AAOMPT would become—was a defining moment in his career.

“America did not yet have recognition as an international OMPT program. Being part of that first group was incredibly meaningful.”

Now based in Grass Valley, California, John founded Body Logic Physical Therapy in 2001, owning and operating the practice for 25 years before recently transitioning into a part-time clinical role after selling the clinic. With 43 years in practice, he continues to do the work he loves—while also enjoying photography, bike racing, and traveling with his wife.

“The most rewarding part is when patients come back seeking a thorough OMPT evaluation because they value that level of expertise.”

John’s impact is deeply rooted in community. One former pediatric patient—his son’s first-grade classmate—later became a clinic aide, then a clinician, and is now the new owner of Body Logic Physical Therapy.

John remains actively involved in advancing the profession. His current passion centers on motivational interviewing (MI)—a skillset he believes is essential for truly patient-centered care.

“I’ve found my training in motivational interviewing incredibly rewarding.”

Now an educator in motivational interviewing, John travels internationally teaching MI while continuing to instruct orthopaedic manual therapy courses. At the AAOMPT Conference in Reno (November 2025), he will present a two-hour OMPT master class, guiding participants through lessons learned from a career shaped by mentors across America, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe.

“AAOMPT conferences are the latest and greatest that manual therapy has to offer—and as healthcare evolves, we must evolve with it.”

👏 Join us in celebrating John Seivert—a Fellow, clinician, educator, and lifelong learner whose career embodies the mission, history, and future of AAOMPT.

📍 Grass Valley, CA
🏥 Body Logic Physical Therapy (Founder)
📧 johnseivert@me.com