The profession concerned with promotion of health, with prevention of physical disabilities. The physical therapist does an evaluation and rehabilitation of persons disabled by pain, disease, or injury and with treatment by physical therapeutic measures as opposed to medical, surgical, or other such measures. A physical therapist treats patients of all ages from a small child to the very old.
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 spondylitis 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.
Association Group Responsible for providing license
In Iowa, the Iowa Board of Physical and Occupational Therapy 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.
Application must be mailed to:
Iowa Board of Physical & Occupational Therapy
Bureau of Professional Licensure
LucasStateOfficeBuilding, 5th Floor
321 E 12th St.
Des Moines, IA 50319-0075
Application process
For people from United States
PHYSICAL THERAPIST APPLICATION BY EXAMINATION
Eligibility:
Educational requirements – Physical therapists shall graduate from a physical therapy program accredited by a national accreditation agency approved by the board and if the degree is granted on or after February 1,2004,the degree must be equivalent to a post- baccalaureate degree.
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. The credentialing agency should use the version for the Coursework Tool (CWT) that covers the date the applicant graduated from the applicant’s respective physical therapist program.
Board approved Agency:
Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) – www.fccpt.org
Certified proof of passing IBT-TOEFL with a total score of at least 89 as well as accompanying minimum scores in the four test components as follows: 24 in writing; 26 in speaking; 21 in reading comprehension; and 18 in listening comprehension, sent directly from examination service.
Applicants may be exempt from the TOEFL examination when the native language is English, physical therapy education was completed in a school approved by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), language of instruction in physical therapy was English, language of the textbooks was English, and the applicant’ s transcript was in English.
Must also submit proof as mentioned in Endorsement procedure related with hours of practice/continuing education/examination.
Instructions for Registering Online for National Physical Therapy Examinations
Iowa 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 Iowa 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
Verify Iowa Licensure: It can be viewed on the official website:
PHYSICAL THERAPIST APPLICATION BY ENDORSEMENT
For applicants from other states who hold a current license in another jurisdiction.
Must complete the application process
Contact the school’s registrar and request the official transcripts or letter of completion be mailed to the board office.
Request your NPTE score transfer from the FSBPT at www.fsbpt.net/pt.
Show evidence that the qualification he/she has is similar to those required by Iowa board.
Employer’s statement of at least 2,080 hours of PT practice within last 2 years.
Or Proof of continuing education Physical Therapist – 40 hours
Or Have successfully passed the examination within a period of one year from the date of examination to the time the application is completed for licensure.
Fees:
Application Fees is $120
Information about jobs and salary
Job in State: As per data of May 2012 there are 1,860 jobs in IowaState.
Salary: The average mean wage is $80,800. The bottom 10% is at $56,740 and the top 10% is earning a handsome amount of $104,840.
Links for reference
Official Website: http://www.idph.state.ia.us/licensure/PhysicalandOccupationalTherapy.aspx
Exam Websites: http://www.fsbpt.org , www.prometric.com/fsbpt