Foreign Trained P.T. Licensure Proposed Changes in California
By Sharon L. Gorman, MS, PTAfter the last meeting of the PT Board of California (PTB), I spoke briefly with Donald A. Chu, Ph.D., PT, Vice President of the PTB about the licensure requirements for foreign-trained PT’s in California. The following recommendations are being considered, and will be presented to the full PTB at their next meeting.
The current multi-site clinical services requirement, which requires a foreign trained PT to work at multiple clinical sites as a requirement for California licensure, will be eliminated. The proposal was to require clinical service, with the same level of supervision, at only one site. The rationale for this change is that the educational program completed by the foreign-trained applicant is reviewed by the PTB for equivalencies to US based programs. The purpose of the clinical service requirement is to familiarize a foreign-trained PT with the culture, ethics, and healthcare system of the US. The PTB thinks this goal can be met with clinical service at one site.
- All foreign-trained PT’s will be given the option to take an Ethics and Legal Issues course. If this option is chosen, the nine-month clinical services requirement would be reduced by three months (for a total of six months). This new requirement will help to ensure that the foreign-trained PT has a complete understanding of the US healthcare system, medical ethics, and medical/physical therapy ethics. Currently, Ohlone College in Fremont is working on an on-line course that would meet this requirement for the PTB.
- All clinics/facilities that serve as a site under the clinical services requirement will need to complete a "Clinical Center Information Form". This form, which is currently used by PT and PTA education programs to assess and evaluate clinical sites for their students, would provide the PTB of California specific, detailed information regarding the clinical sites wanting to host foreign-trained applicants. The standardization, using an APTA approved form, will greatly assist the PTB in their determination of eligibility of the foreign-trained PT’s application for licensure.
- To ensure competent clinical practice, the PTB is recommending that the clinical sites supervising foreign-trained PT’s utilize the APTA’s Clinical Performance Instrument (CPI). This is the APTA developed tool, widely used by PT and PTA education programs, to assess student’s competence in physical therapy practice. Again, the PTB sees as beneficial the standardization in competency evaluation tools between new graduates applying for licensure and foreign-trained PTs applying for licensure.
These are proposed changes to the current requirement for foreign-trained PT licensure. They will be voted on by the full PTB at their next meeting May 22-23, 2000 in Los Angeles.
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