OCS Field Guide: A PT Podcast
Pass the OCS exam by studying smarter, not harder. This podcast is for physical therapists looking to become board-certified specialists in orthopedics. Use code FIELDGUIDE for $101 off a MedBridge subscription.
DISCLAIMER: The information in this podcast is shared for educational purposes only and should not be regarded as medical advice. Always consult with an appropriate licensed provider if you have medical questions or concerns.
Episodes
40 episodes
Introduction and OCS Study Tips
Meet Dr. David Smelser, PT, DPT, OCS and Dr. Austin Kercheville, PT, DPT, OCS—two very busy Board-Certified Specialists in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy. We're here to help you pass the OCS on a tight schedule like we did. In this episode, we in...
Research Part I: Basics and Statistics to Memorize
A large number of exam takers who fail to pass the OCS exam report that the section on research was one of their lowest-scoring sections. Dr. David Smelser discusses research basics as well as statistics and important values you will need to me...
Research Part II: Hawthorne, John Henry, and Pygmalion
Dr. David Smelser discusses psychological pitfalls of human research, including the placebo, nocebo, Hawthorne, John Henry, and Pygmalion (also called "Rosenthal") effects and some ways to mitigate them.
Low Back Pain CPG (2012): Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Clinical Course
Dr. David Smelser introduces the 2012 low back pain Clinical Practice Guideline and covers the sections on prevalence, risk factors, and clinical courses. A couple case studies reinforce how this information might be used on the OCS exam.
Low Back Pain CPG (2012): Red Flags and Outcome Measures
How is the OCS going to approach low back pain differential diagnosis and red flags? Dr. David Smelser discusses low back pain red flags using the CPG as well as a recent JOSPT article by Finucane et al. You can bet your bottom dollar this will...
Low Back Pain Treatment-Based Classification
With the lumbar spine comprising 20% of the OCS exam, knowing both Fritz's 2007 treatment-based classification system and Alrwaily's 2016 update is essential to passing the exam. Dr. David Smelser breaks down these systems and includes a case s...
Low Back Pain Treatments, Stenosis, and Nerve Tension Testing
As we wrap up the 2012 low back pain CPG by covering the treatment section, David discusses two topics the clinical practice guideline doesn't cover well: lumbar stenosis (as well as how to distinguish it from intermittent claudication) and how...
Low Back Pain Practice Questions
Guest host Dr. Kim Richards, PT, DPT, OCS helps go through some practice questions on low back pain. Like the OCS, these questions are case-based with a couple surprise twists. See how well you've been learning your lumbar spine material by tes...
Neck Pain CPG: Risk Factors, Clinical Course, Prognosis
Dr. Austin Kercheville begins our series on the 2017 neck pain Clinical Practice Guideline by covering neck pain prevalence, risk factors, clinical course, and prognosis.
Neck Pain CPG: Red Flags, Imaging, and Outcome Measures
The neck pain CPG expects physical therapists to screen for red flags, but it doesn't give much detail on how to do that. Dr. Austin Kercheville fills in those gaps with this discussion of neck pain red flags and indications for imaging.
Neck Pain with Mobility Deficits and Headaches
After providing an overview of the cervical spine treatment-based classification from 2004 and how it fits into the 2017 neck pain CPG, Dr. Austin Kercheville explains the diagnosis and treatment sections for neck pain with mobility deficits an...
Neck Pain with Movement Coordination Impairments and Radiating Pain
This information-packed episode finishes the 2017 neck pain CPG by covering diagnosis and treatment of neck pain with movement coordination impairments and neck pain with radiating pain. Additionally, Austin covers a CPR for cervical radiculopa...
Headaches: Cervicogenic, Tension-Type, Migraines, and Cluster
Headaches can be tricky to diagnose and treat. In the headache section of the neck pain CPG, the authors recommend consulting two additional resources: the IHS's International Classification of Headache Disorders and the NICE's Headaches in Ove...
Types of Arthritis
The variety of rheumatoid disorders can be daunting, and pulling information together to tell them apart is challenging. In this episode, David covers osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, reactive a...
Knee Ligament Sprain CPG Overview
In this episode, Austin covers the highlights of the 2017 Knee Ligament Sprain CPG, including diagnosis, outcomes, and treatments. He also covers the Ottawa Knee Rules, which are bound to show up on the OCS exam.
ACL Injury Prevention CPG, Copers, and Non-Copers
ACL injuries are one of the most studied orthopedic injuries, and we just couldn't get everything we'd like to say about them into the knee ligament sprain episode. So in this episode, David covers mechanisms behind non contact ACL injuries, th...
Meniscal Lesions CPG
Today we cover the meniscus portion of the CPG also known as the Knee Pain and Mobility Impairments: Meniscal and Cartilage Lesions Revision 2018. Additionally, we pull in a CPG from the British Journal of Sports Medicine and some extra materia...
Knee Articular Cartilage Lesions CPG
We finish the Knee Pain and Mobility Impairments: Meniscal and Articular Cartilage Lesions CPG (2018 revision) with this episode focused on articular cartilage lesions and surgeries. Additionally, we include an overview of the 5-stage decision ...
Patellofemoral Pain CPG
The CPG on patellofemoral pain is both long and dense, so Austin takes us through an information-packed episode with a very helpful practice question at the end to tie it together and explain how you should expect to use this information on the...
Total Knee Arthroplasty CPG
We're back with a new episode covering the APTA's 2020 TKA CPG and with a new MedBridge promo code! Use code FIELDGUIDE for a discount on any of Medbridge's individual plans. Contact us if you want a link for a discount on group plans!
Patellar Tendinopathy and Other Knee Conditions
Today Austin covers a host of knee conditions, including jumper's knee, clergyman's knee, carpenter's knee, and just about any other profession's knee. Listen in to learn about various knee tendinopathies, bursitises, growth plate disorders, an...
Knee OA Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Since there are not yet any PT CPGs for knee OA, we pull together information from textbooks, articles, and two physician CPGs to cover what does and doesn't work for knee OA. We also review physiology, diagnosis, and an easy little CPR at the ...
Adhesive Capsulitis CPG: Clinical Course and Differential Diagnosis
Since adhesive capsulitis is the only shoulder diagnosis for which we currently have a CPG, it's worth spending two episodes to cover this in a bit more depth. Today Austin covers part 1 of the adhesive capsulitis CPG, including the sections on...