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 therapy can of short or long term depending upon the condition and illness of the patient. For a patient who cannot move his neck towards right due to a muscle pull can take only a few sessions. For a patient suffering from a car accident with serious injury may require a very long session to gain his strength to walk.
Association Group Responsible for providing license
In Utah, Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL) 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:
Division of Occupational & Professional Licensing
P.O. Box 146741
Salt Lake City UT 84114-6741
Telephone Numbers: (801) 530-6628 / (866) 275-3675 – Toll-free in Utah
Fax Number: (801) 530-6511
Email: doplbureau3@utah.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 Utah 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 agency is:
Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) – www.fccpt.org
Instructions for Registering Online for National Physical Therapy Examinations
Utah 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 Utah 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.
Utah Physical Therapist Law and Rule Examination: This exam is mandatory for all the candidates to get a license of physical therapist in Utah. Candidates must submit a completed take-home Utah Physical Therapist Law Examination (attached to the application form). The candidates should go through the applicable laws and rules which are available on the Internet at www.dopl.utah.gov .
Other Information
Fees:
$70 non-refundable application-processing fee
License renewal
Beginning July 1, 2009, all Physical Therapists (PT) and Physical Therapist Assistants (PTA) are required to complete hours of continuing education (CE). During every license renewal cycle ending on May 31 of every odd year, PT’s are required to complete at least 40 contact hours. At least 3 of the total number of contact hours of CE must be in topics relating to ethics or law.
Verify Utah Licensure: It can be viewed on the official website http://dopl.utah.gov/licensing/physical_therapy.html
Information about jobs and salary
Job in State: As per data of May 2012 there are 1,510 jobs in UtahState.
Salary: The average mean wage is $81,280. The bottom 10% is at $54,480 and the top 10% is earning a handsome amount of $108,680.
Links for reference
Official Website: http://dopl.utah.gov/licensing/physical_therapy.html
Exam Websites: http://www.fsbpt.org , www.prometric.com/fsbpt
Other: http://www.apta.org/ , http://www.capteonline.org/home.aspx