How to Become a Physical Therapist in West Virginia (WV)

Physical therapy is becoming an increasingly important part of America’s healthcare sector and they are very much in demand. Physical therapy is a set of methods and procedures that assists a patient to rehabilitate and gain full use of their bodies after an accident or medical procedure or general health care conditions. No matter what part of the body ails a person – ankle, neck, shoulder, back, knee – physical therapists helps individuals improve their quality of life. The PT’s 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 West Virginia, the West Virginia 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.

Mailing Address:

WV BOARD OF PHYSICAL THERAPY
101 DEE DRIVE
CHARLESTON, WV 25311
Contact No. (304) 558-0367

Application process

For people from United States

PHYSICAL THERAPIST APPLICATION BY EXAMINATION 

Eligibility: To be eligible for a license to practice, the candidate must have a “Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy” from a CAPTE accredited program.

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

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

English competency: An applicant whose native language is not English should satisfactorily complete the TOEFL, TWE and TSE with a passing score or above.

Instructions for Registering Online for National Physical Therapy Examinations

West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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. The candidate must be a graduate of a CAPTE accredited physical therapy educational program.

Request your NPTE score transfer from the FSBPT at www.fsbpt.net/pt .

Other Information 

TEMPORARY LICENSURE PERMIT 

The candidate must have a “Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy” from a CAPTE accredited program.

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).

Exam candidates who previously received a failing score on the NPTE are not eligible for a Temporary Permit 

Fees:

$220.00 Licensure fee

$25.00 Application fee 

Verify West Virginia Licensure: It can be viewed on the official website http://www.wvbopt.com

Information about jobs and salary

Job in State: As per data of May 2012 there are 1,120 jobs in West VirginiaState.

Salary: The average mean wage is $80,690. The bottom 10% is at $51,680and the top 10% is earning a handsome amount of $112,560.

Links for reference

Official Website: http://www.wvbopt.com

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

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