Physical therapist requirement is a rapidly growing in the health care industry. A physical therapist assists the patient to rehabilitate from a surgery or illness or certain medical conditions. The physical therapist develops treatment plans for patients that increase mobility, gain strength, flexibility and reduce pain. From simple treatments like ankle sprain or a muscle pull in the neck that hinders a patient’s mobility to complex treatment like a person unable to move after a severe accident and is bedridden, physical therapists help patients get up and go again following illness or injury. The physical therapist treats all the age groups ranging from new born child to the very old people. Licensed physical therapists practice in a varied range of healthcare settings including hospitals, nursing homes, schools and private practices.
Association Group Responsible for providing license
In Tennessee, the Tennessee Board of Physical 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.
To contact the Board
Mailing Address
665 Mainstream Drive
Nashville
TN 37243
Call-(615) 532-3202 local or 1-800-778-4123 nationwide
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 Tennessee 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. The evaluation must be prepared by a Board approved agency.
Board approved agencies are:
Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) – www.fccpt.org
English competency: A foreign candidate should satisfactorily complete the TOEFL iBT with a passing score or above.
The candidate needs to submit proof of United States or Canada citizenship or evidence of being legally entitled to live and work in the United States.
The candidate need to go through supervised clinical practice. The period shall be four hundred and eighty (480) hours and shall be accomplished at a rate of no more than forty (40) hours or no less than ten (10) hours per week.
Instructions for Registering Online for National Physical Therapy Examinations
Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 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 .
Other Information
Fees:
Application Fee $ 50.00
License Fee $ 25.00
Reciprocity $100.00
Verify Tennessee Licensure: It can be viewed on the official website http://health.state.tn.us/Licensure/default.aspx
Information about jobs and salary
Job in State: As per data of May 2012 there are 4,220 jobs in TennesseeState.
Salary: The average mean wage is $78,580. The bottom 10% is at $55,300 and the top 10% is earning a handsome amount of $102,160.
Links for reference
Official Website: http://health.state.tn.us/boards/PT/index.htm
Exam Websites: http://www.fsbpt.org , www.prometric.com/fsbpt