How to Become a Physical Therapist in Wisconsin (WI)

“Physical therapy” or “physiotherapy” means the same and are identical. A physical therapist helps patients improve mobility, relieve pain and restore function in patients with injuries, war veterans, cardiac or arthritic patients and much more. Both the patient and the PT work as a team to achieve the goal. Evaluation, planned treatment and patient’s participation is crucial for the success of the therapy program. The PT’s also advise the patients how to reduce the risk of Injury. Physical therapists are experts in knowing how the body works, so they can design a personalized treatment plan to reduce the risk of injury whether in everyday activities or sports.

Association Group Responsible for providing license

In Wisconsin, Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services 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:

P.O. Box 8935
Madison
WI 53708-8935
FAX #: (608) 261-7083
Phone #: (608) 266-2112
E-Mail: web@dsps.wi.gov
Website: http://dsps.wi.gov 

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 Wisconsin 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, the applicant must submit a credential evaluation. The evaluation must be prepared by a Board approved agency.

Board approved agencies are:

International Credentialing Associates (ICA) – www.icaworld.com

International Education Research Foundation, Inc. (IERF) – www.ierf.org

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

International Consultants of Delaware, Inc. (ICD) – www.icdeval.com

English competency: All foreign applicants should satisfactorily complete the TOEFL, TWE and TSE with a passing score or a greater mark.

Instructions for Registering Online for National Physical Therapy Examinations

Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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 Prometric Testing Center fee must be paid directly to the Prometric Testing Center at the time of scheduling. Please visit www.prometric.com for further details for place and fees.

PHYSICAL THERAPIST APPLICATION BY ENDORSEMENT 

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.

Candidates must submit proof of completion of at least 30 hours of continuing education approved by the board within 2 years prior to application. Four of the required 30 hours must be in the area of ethics and jurisprudence.

Wisconsin Law (Jurisprudence) exam: To successfully pass in this exam is mandatory for all the candidates to get a license of physical therapist in Wisconsin. This is an open book examination on Wisconsin Statutes and Administrative Code

Other Information

Fees:

$ 75.00 Initial Credential Fee

$ 75.00 State Law Exam

$ 15.00 Contract Exam Fee

Verify Wisconsin Licensure: It can be viewed on the official website http://dsps.wi.gov/Online-Services/License-Look-Up

Information about jobs and salary

Job in State: As per data of May 2012 there are 4,230 jobs in WisconsinState.

Salary: The average mean wage is $78,050. The bottom 10% is at $59,240 and the top 10% is earning a handsome amount of $97,400.

Links for reference

Official Website: http://drl.wi.gov/prof/phth/def.htm

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

Important Websites: http://www.apta.org , http://www.capteonline.org/home.aspx