Physical Therapy Assistant/Athletic Trainer - Clinical Research

About the role

Location: Tripler Army Medical Center & Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

Full-Time | On-Site | $25.00-$35.00/hour

Take Your Rehabilitation Career Beyond the Traditional Clinical Setting

Looking for an opportunity to use your rehabilitation or athletic training experience in a different way?

The Geneva Foundation is seeking a Physical Therapy Assistant / Athletic Trainer - Clinical Research to join a collaborative research team supporting studies at Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) and the Desmond T. Doss Health Clinic at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii.

In this role, you'll combine hands-on participant interaction, rehabilitation, human performance, and clinical research while helping advance research focused on improving care and recovery for service members and other beneficiaries of the Military Health System.

If you have experience in physical therapy, athletic training, sports medicine, orthopedics, rehabilitation, or human performance, we'd like to hear from you.

Previous clinical research experience is a plus, but it is not required. Candidates interested in expanding their clinical background into research are encouraged to apply.

What Makes This Opportunity Different?

• This isn't a traditional PTA or Athletic Trainer position.
• You'll work alongside Physical Therapists, research investigators, and other healthcare and research professionals on studies examining musculoskeletal injuries, rehabilitation, recovery, and return to duty.
• The research program evaluates common musculoskeletal conditions-including back, knee, and shoulder injuries-and investigates approaches that may help service members recover successfully and maintain operational readiness.
• One of the studies you'll support is a Phase II randomized controlled clinical trial examining early versus delayed physical therapy following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery.
• The goal is to answer an important clinical question: Can the timing of physical therapy after surgery improve rehabilitation and recovery outcomes?
• Participants are evaluated before surgery and followed throughout their recovery, giving you the opportunity to contribute to meaningful, longitudinal clinical research.

What You'll Do

As a member of the research team, you will

• Work directly with research participants during clinical and study visits
• Assist with therapeutic exercise, rehabilitation activities, physical modalities, and activities of daily living
• Support Physical Therapists with participant evaluations and study-related assessments
• Collect clinical, functional, and research data
• Assist with motion analysis and specialized research equipment
• Monitor and document participant progress and response to rehabilitation
• Enter and maintain accurate study data and research documentation
• Assist with braces, prostheses, and mobility-related equipment when applicable
• Maintain confidential medical and research records
• Prepare progress reports and study-related information
• Collaborate with Physical Therapists, investigators, research staff, participants, and study partners
• Follow study protocols, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), OSHA, infection control, and applicable regulatory requirements
• Support additional activities needed to keep clinical research studies running successfully

Who We're Looking For

You may be a great fit if you enjoy working with patients, rehabilitation, human movement, and learning new skills and are interested in seeing how clinical research can influence future standards of care.

We welcome candidates with backgrounds in

• Physical therapy
• Athletic training
• Orthopedics
• Sports medicine
• Rehabilitation
• Human performance
• Clinical research

Qualifications

• Associate degree from an accredited Physical Therapy program for Physical Therapy Assistant candidates
• Current Physical Therapy Assistant certification or credentialing, as applicable
• Athletic training education and current certification/credentialing, as applicable for Athletic Trainer candidates
• 1-3 years of experience in physical therapy, athletic training, rehabilitation, orthopedics, sports medicine, or a related healthcare environment preferred
• Orthopedic or musculoskeletal experience preferred
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Strong organization and attention to detail
• Ability and willingness to learn new clinical and research procedures
• Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities while maintaining professionalism
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Additional experience that is helpful, but not required

• Motion analysis or similar assessment technology
• Clinical or general research techniques
• Healthcare, nonprofit, or research environments
• Amputee rehabilitation, prosthetics, or adaptive rehabilitation

Grow Your Skills While Making an Impact

This role offers an opportunity to build experience beyond a traditional rehabilitation setting.

You'll gain exposure to

• Clinical research
• Orthopedic and postoperative rehabilitation
• Human movement and functional assessments
• Motion analysis
• Research data collection
• Evidence-based rehabilitation
• Military medicine
• Multidisciplinary research collaboration

Additional information

Whether you're an experienced PTA or Athletic Trainer or someone looking to expand your clinical experience into research, this position offers the opportunity to develop new skills while contributing to research with meaningful impact.

Position

Location: Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) & Desmond T. Doss Health Clinic, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

• Schedule: Full-Time, 40 hours per week
• Work Arrangement: 100% On-Site
• Compensation: $25.00-$35.00/hour

Background Requirement

A thorough government background check is required.

Ready for Something Beyond the Traditional Clinic?

• Bring your rehabilitation or athletic training experience to a role where patient care meets clinical research.
• Join The Geneva Foundation and help support research designed to improve rehabilitation, recovery, and readiness across the military community.
• Apply today and help advance the future of military medicine.