How to Become a Physical Therapist in South Dakota (SD)

Physical therapy is becoming an increasingly important part of America’s healthcare sector and they are very much in demand. Physical therapy is a set of methods and procedures that assist a patient to rehabilitate and gain full use of their bodies after an accident or medical procedure or general health care conditions. Therapists have a profound knowledge how the human body works, this helps them in devising a therapy regimen to put the patient on a recovery track. The physical therapist treats all the age groups ranging from new born child to the very old people. The field requires good communication and problem-solving skills, and the ability to perform rigorous physical activity. Physical Therapists work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, athletic facilities, schools and private practices.

Association Group Responsible for providing license

In South Dakota, the South Dakota State Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners is responsible to issue license to physical therapists. The application process is dependent on whether you are new student, a licensed physical therapist in another state or country.

Mailing Address:

101 N. Main Avenue Suite
301 Sioux Falls
SD 57104

Application process

For people from United States

PHYSICAL THERAPIST APPLICATION BY EXAMINATION 

Eligibility: Applicant must be a graduate of a CAPTE accredited physical therapy educational program, approved by the South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy.

The Board should receive an official transcript in physical therapy from an institution that has been approved for training by the Commission on Accreditation for Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).

Foreign Trained Applicants: If the applicant has received education outside US at a school which is not accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), the applicant must submit a credential evaluation.

Board approved agency is:

Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) – www.fccpt.org

English competency: An applicant whose physical therapy education program was taught in a language other than English should satisfactorily complete the TOEFL, TWE and TSE with a passing score or above.

Instructions for Registering Online for National Physical Therapy Examinations

South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy is using the FSBT website to allow candidates to register online for NPTE. The website the candidate will follow to get registered is https://www.fsbpt.net/pt. The examination lasts for one day for a period of approximately 5.0 hours. The exam consists of approximately 250 multiple-choice questions. The National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) is a computer-based examination given at Prometric Testing Centers.

Once the South Dakota Board determines the eligibility based on the educational qualification and other guidelines it will be intimated that candidate can appear for the online examination. The FSBT will send the candidate an Authorization to Test (ATT) letter.

The ATT letter would contain the all important information about the exam schedules

Where to give the exam: The PrometricTestingCenter fee must be paid directly to the PrometricTestingCenter at the time of scheduling. Please visit www.prometric.com for further details for place and fees.

PHYSICAL THERAPIST APPLICATION BY RECIPROCITY 

For applicants from other states who hold a current license in another jurisdiction.

Candidate should enclose verification of licensure in good standing from all jurisdictions in which the applicant has been licensed.

Candidate should send the official transcripts or letter of completion to be mailed to the board office.

Request your NPTE score transfer from the FSBPT at www.fsbpt.net/pt.

License renewal

Please note that an initial license will vary in duration dependant upon its issuance date. This initial license will expire on January 1. It is the responsibility of all licensees to renew their license before January 1. Failure to renew by January 1 shall result in automatic expiration of the license by statute. Licenses which have expired or forfeited are not automatically entitled to renew.

Verify South Dakota Licensure: It can be viewed on the official website

http://www.sdbmoe.gov

Information about jobs and salary

Job in State: As per data of May 2012 there are 600 jobs in South DakotaState.

Salary: The average mean wage is $70,330. The bottom 10% is at $53,590 and the top 10% is earning a handsome amount of $89,570.

Links for reference

Official Website: http://www.sdbmoe.gov/?q=content/physical-therapist-pt ; http://www.sdbmoe.gov

Exam Websites: http://www.fsbpt.org , www.prometric.com/fsbpt