Current through August 26, 2024
(1) Except as provided under subs. (3) and
(4), every person applying for any class of license to provide physical therapy
services shall submit to the board all of the following:
(a) A completed and verified application form
provided by the board and the fees specified in s. 440.05(1), Stats.
Note: Application forms are available from the
department of safety and professional services' website at
www.dsps.wi.gov.
(c) For a physical therapist, verified
documentary evidence of graduation from a school of physical therapy; for a
physical therapist assistant, verified documentary evidence of satisfactory
completion of a physical therapist assistant educational program approved by
the board.
(d) In the case of a
graduate of a foreign school of physical therapy or physical therapist
assistant educational program, verification of educational equivalency to a
board-approved school of physical therapy or physical therapist assistant
educational program. The verification required under this paragraph shall be
obtained from a board-approved foreign graduate evaluation service, based upon
submission to the evaluation service of all of the following material:
1. A verified copy of transcripts from the
schools from which secondary education was obtained.
2. A verified copy of the diploma from the
school or educational program at which professional physical therapy or
physical therapist assistant training was completed.
3. A record of the number of class hours
spent in each subject, for both preprofessional and professional courses. For
subjects which include laboratory and discussion sections, the hours must be
described in hours per lecture, hours per laboratory, and hours per discussion
per week. Information must include whether subjects have been taken at basic
entry or advanced levels.
4. A
syllabus that describes the material covered in each subject
completed.
(e) Evidence
of successful completion of the examinations specified in ch. PT 2.
(2) If an applicant is a graduate
of a school of physical therapy or a physical therapist assistant educational
program not approved by the board, the board shall determine whether the
applicant's educational training is equivalent to that specified in sub. (1)
(c). In lieu of its own evaluations, the board may use evaluations prepared by
a board-approved evaluation service. The cost of an evaluation shall be paid by
the applicant.
Note: The board periodically reviews and approves
foreign graduate evaluation services. A list of board-approved evaluation
services is available upon request by calling (608) 266-2112.
(3) The board may waive the requirement under
sub. (1) (c) for an applicant who establishes, to the satisfaction of the
board, all of the following:
(a) The applicant
is a graduate of a physical therapy school or a physical therapist assistant
educational program.
(b) The
applicant is licensed as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant
by another licensing jurisdiction in the United States.
(c) The jurisdiction in which the applicant
is licensed required the applicant to be a graduate of a school or educational
program approved by the licensing jurisdiction or of a school or educational
program that the licensing jurisdiction evaluated for educational
equivalency.
(d) The applicant has
actively practiced as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant,
under the license issued by the other licensing jurisdiction in the United
States, for at least 3 years immediately preceding the date of application.
Note: The board approves those schools of physical
therapy and physical therapist assistant educational programs that are at the
time of the applicant's graduation recognized and approved by the Commission on
Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.
(4) A reciprocal license to provide physical
therapy services shall be granted to a service member, a former service member,
or the spouse of a service member or former service member who the board
determines meets all of the requirements under s. 440.09(2), Stats. Subject to
s. 440.09(2m), Stats., the board may request verification necessary to make a
determination under this subsection.
Under 2001 Wis. Act 70, physical therapist assistants are not
required to be licensed until April 1,
2004.
