An arthritic patient who cannot bend her knees, a war-veteran whose left arm is paralyzed, a young man due to muscle pull in the neck cannot look right or a arthritis patient whose movement is hindered; all need a physical therapist to cure them so that their physical mobility is restored as a normal person does. Patient of all age is treated by the physical therapist right from new born babies to the very old. The physical therapy can be of short or long term depending upon the condition and illness of the patient. For a patient who cannot move due to an ankle sprain can take only a few sessions. For a patient suffering from a bike accident with serious injury may require a very long session to gain his strength to walk and control his body movement. Physical therapy is a dynamic profession. It presents opportunities to promote health and provide rehabilitation through clinical practice, education and critical inquiry.
Association Group Responsible for providing license
In Idaho, the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board is responsible to issue license to physical therapists. The mission is ‘To help protect the public health, safety and welfare through the licensure and regulation of physical therapists in Idaho’. The application process is dependent on whether you are new student, a licensed physical therapist in another state or country.
Mailing Address:
Physical Therapist Licensure Board
Bureau of Occupational Licenses
700 West State Street, PO Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0063
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.
The Board should receive a degree in physical therapy from an institution that has been approved for training by the Commission on Accreditation for Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE).
New Graduates who yet to get official degree: Yes, candidates may sit for the NPTE no more than 90 days prior to the official graduation date.
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. The evaluation must be prepared by a Board approved agency.
If the board determines that a foreign-educated applicant’s education is not substantially equivalent, it may require successful completion of additional coursework before proceeding with the application process.
The applicant should also provide proof of legal authorization to reside and seek employment in the United States or its territories.
Instructions for Registering Online for National Physical Therapy Examinations
Idaho 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
Once the Idaho 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
Exam preparatory Website: https://pt.fsbpt.net/PEAT/
PHYSICAL THERAPIST APPLICATION BY ENDORSEMENT
For applicants from other states who hold a current license in another jurisdiction.
Official documentation of the score must be received by the office directly from the National Board
Idaho Open Book Jurisprudence Examination: This exam is mandatory for all the candidates to get a license of physical therapist in Idaho. Candidates get the information from the Idaho Physical Therapy Licensure Board’s homepage at www.ibol.idaho.gov
They should click on the links State Licensure Law and State Licensure Rules to access information in answering the questions for the exam.
English Language:
If English is not the native language then a proof of successfully passing either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the Test of English as a Foreign Language – Internet Based (TOEFL – IBT) must be submitted.
Verify Idaho Licensure: It can be viewed on the official website https://secure.ibol.idaho.gov/eIBOLPublic/LPRBrowser.aspx?Profession=PHT&DefaultBoard=Y
Fees:
Application fee is $50.00
Initial license fee is $40.00
If the applicant is applying to take the NPTE the fee is $40.00
Information about jobs and salary
Job in State: As per data of May 2012 there are 940 jobs in IdahoState.
Salary: The average mean wage is $73,520. The bottom 10% is at $45,410 and the top 10% is earning a handsome amount of $93,820.
Links for reference
Official Website: http://ibol.idaho.gov/IBOL/BoardPage.aspx?Bureau=PHT
Exam Websites: http://www.fsbpt.org , www.prometric.com/fsbpt