The State Of Georgia's Requirements For Obtaining Licensure

As a physical therapist, one is able to make a difference in the lives of the patients he or she encounters. Whether they have a minor injury, such as a broken

This frees up the physician’s schedule to see only the medically necessary patients, whereas PTs can share the load of musculoskeletal evaluations. Mitchell and Lissovoy published a study in 1994 on the cost effectiveness of direct access to PTs. They found that the costs for PT visits were 123% higher when patients were first seen by a physician as compared to when they were seen by a physical therapist directly. Establishing close working relationships between medical doctors and PTs, with a 2-way referral of patients, is essential to reduce not only unnecessary referrals, but also improve patient satisfaction and create an efficient process for reducing overall medical costs.

In order to be successful in the profession as a physical therapist there are several prerequisites a person has to accomplish. One of the first prerequisites to become a physical therapist is you must graduate from a physical therapist educational program and obtain a master or doctoral degree. The master's degree programs for physical therapy typically are two to two and a half years in length, while doctoral degree programs usually last 3 years. In addition to classroom and laboratory instruction, students will complete supervised clinical experience to get a feel of the work environment. The coursework will include physics, biology and chemistry. Other additional coursework included during the physical therapy program is therapeutic procedures, biomechanics, examination techniques, human development, manifestations of disease, and neuroanatomy. You can specialize in one of those certain topics, which will concentrate more on a certain area. Students must also obtain a license in order to practice physical therapy. A license can be obtained by

Colleges with a medical department often have a master’s program for physical therapy. (“Physical Therapists”) Physical therapy students have a required amount of field work in order to complete a program. Each candidate must work in an accredited workplace for the field work assignments. This part of the program is extremely valuable and helpful for a new therapist entering the field. Working one on one can be difficult even with all of the educational tools. (Curtis 37)

An occupational therapist may or may not be required to be licensed depending on the state laws. If licensing is required, attending an accredited school and meeting the field experience would be necessary before attempting to license. For a physical therapist, licensing is required. The requirements to become licensed are mandated by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy and vary by regions (FSBPT). One may register for the exam at the Federation of State Boards Physical Therapy website. Licensing is another consideration when trying to decide to become a physical therapist or an occupational

A person who is looking into becoming an occupational therapist must have a specific education and set of skills to successfully navigate the job. To start, one must first attain a bachelor's degree in order to apply to an occupational therapy master's degree program. There is no specific bachelor's degree that is mandatory to enter into a graduate program, but there is mandatory coursework that one must complete, such as physiology, biology, and psychology (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015). These coursework requirements vary depending on each school's preference. Schools that offer an occupational therapy graduate program, in the state of Florida, include: Adventist University of Health Sciences, Barry University, University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, and Nova Southeastern University. To prepare for admittance into a program one must complete the required coursework, the minimum number observational hours, acquire recommendations from occupational therapists and professor, and complete the GRE exam (The American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.). Along with the educational requirements, one must have or develop certain skills that will assist in the everyday duties of being an occupational therapist. Communication is an important skill because an occupational therapist is constantly interacting with their patients to either talk about how they are doing or teach them how to do a specific task.

Physical therapists are required to complete at least six years or higher of education before work begins. This means that a master’s degree or a bachelor’s degree must be achieved. Only a few colleges or universities offer master’s programs, therefore a student must enter a doctoral program to attain this profession. Acquiring a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree requires three years of education only after receiving a bachelor’s degree. Most students join residency programs that can last anywhere from nine months to three years to

(David Hayes ,1998). According to the Physical Therapist Assistants (2007), "There were, 238 accredited physical therapist assistant programs in the United States as of 2004. Accredited physical therapist assistant programs are designed to last 2 years, or 4 semesters, and culminate in an associate degree." Programs are divided into academic study and hands-on clinical experience. Academic course work includes algebra, anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry, and psychology. Many programs require that students complete a semester of anatomy and physiology and have certifications in CPR and other first aid even before they begin their clinical field experience. (Physical Therapist Assistants ,2007) Both educators and employers view clinical experience to ensure that students understand the responsibilities of a physical therapist assistant. Employers typically require physical therapist aides to have a high school diploma, strong interpersonal skills, and a desire to assist people in need. Most employers provide clinical on-the-job training.

Again, I see the mistake of both PT and PTA. Texas Physical therapy examiner rules says it is the professional responsibility of the PT to reexamine and reevaluate the patient at the minimum of once every 60 days after treatment has initiated.2 Likewise it is also mentioned in Texas Physical Therapy examiners rule that PTA may not continue the provision of physical therapy treatment if the PT has not performed a reevaluation.2 Under the provision of supervision, all level of supervision requires some form of communication, telecommunication being the least.3 However, no form of communication took place between the PT and

Hi Georgia! It is the nurses' responsibility to maintain professionalism at all times. It is important to maintain those three things you mentioned as they are vital things to be mindful of during presentation. Coming to present prepared, dressed appropriately, and maintaining professional attitude will get the audience interested and engaged of the change presentation. The handout you mentioned are great take-home tool for the audiece to have for them to refer to if they have questions or wanted to go over what has presented. Thanks for

Occupational therapists in Pennsylvania are required to obtain 24 contact hours every two years in continued competency activities to maintain their licensure (Pennsylvania Department of State, 2013). In addition, the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy (2016) requires practitioners to obtain 36 units of continued education every three years. LIU 12 provides financial resources in the form of tuition reimbursement for occupational therapists to continue their education and meet their licensure and certification

As a practicing physical therapist in the state of Georgia, and over 35 years of clinical experience in this healthcare field, I am writing to you today to gain the support of your insurance company, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia (BCBSGA) in the recent achievement of direct access for physical therapists in Georgia. Currently, patients in the state of Georgia now have direct access to physical therapists without the requirement of a physician referral; however under the current health care system physical therapists are still prevented from providing necessary medical treatment to patients, on the account of that services rendered under direct access are not reimbursed by BCBSGA. This extra step places a burden to the consumer by increasing

Gainesville Physical Therapy is a full-service physical therapy clinic that is located in Gainesville, Georgia. Gainesville Physical Therapy has celebrated its more than 25 years of excellence. Their experts treat a vast of physical conditions of the spine, shoulder, hip, knee, wrist/hand, ankle/foot, elbow, and more. Gainesville Physical Therapy specializes in sacroiliac joint dysfunction, back and neck pain, postural re-education, post spinal surgery, joint replacements of the knee, shoulder and hip, knee injuries / post-surgical, osteoarthritis, etc. Gainesville Physical Therapy is also an expert in the assessment for the orthotic needs, shoulder injuries / post-surgical rehabilitation, hand therapy, sports injuries, orthopedic injuries,

The master’s degree program in physical therapy takes about two years to complete. This program includes both general science courses and clinical experience, which is overseen by a licensed P.T. After they have finished the master’s degree program, students must pass the National Physical Therapy Examination in order to graduate. Before they are able to practice, the future physical therapists must also pass the required state exams as well. Although it may seem as if their training is finished, physical therapists must take several continuing education courses to keep their credentials up to date (Education-Portal.com). Though the schooling necessary for this profession takes around six years and when a professional, one has to recertify his or her license each year, this task isn’t that big of a burden when one is able to help patients in

Student’s will have to go through seven years of schooling to achieve their goal of becoming a Physical Therapist. When applicants start their journey of becoming a Physical Therapist, applicants must go through a bachelor 's degree program of 4 years and major in a health related field such as Anatomy, Physiology, Biology, Chemistry, or Physics. After completing 4 years of Bachelor 's program applicants should apply for a Doctorate of Physical Therapy program. When applying for a D.P.T program competition can be very competitive because for certain D.P.T programs only 30 applicants out of 200 or more can get accepted. Stated from the website, “Learn How to Become”, “As of 2014, there were 228 physical therapy programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (C.A.P.T.E), most of which last 3 years”. When an applicant finally gets accepted into a D.P.T program students must complete a clinical internship in a certain area they wish to pursue with supervised experience. When applicants graduate from